The Grey Area
by amarreth
Summary: NEW! L/J, OC/Narcissa, Narcissa/Lucius. Slytherin Ashleigh Rider is not what he seems to be, and his friendship with Lily Evans jeopardizes her relationship with James Potter. Can Potter and friends trust a Rider? And can Ash survive through graduation?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Lily and Marauders are in their seventh year, all with Ashleigh Rider, the new King of Slytherin, with his own secrets and problems and his odd connection to Lily Evans. Ok I cannot summarize at all apparently...just stick with me...especially after this chapter.**

Chapter One

"You cannot do that!" Lily Evans exclaimed angrily.

"Do what?" Her potions partner asked, his voice filled with knowing innocence. Sirius Black's eyes glistened with mischief as their couldron's contents swirled, stirring themselves. He knew his partner well; anything deviating from the normal was liking to receive this reaction.

"Stir the potion like that! The Russian Freezing Potion needs to be delicately stirred, not swirled like a black hole!" She grabbed his wand, forcing the spell to end. She began to stirr with her own wand.

"Evans, will you get your hands off my wand?" He smirked, unable to help himself. His friends, James Potter and Remus Lupin, smirked as well; Sirius and James held theirs longer, while Remus, James's partner, went back to stirring. Lily did not voice a reply, knowing Black's humour all to well. She gave him back his wand, accompanied with a glare, and then did not look at him the rest of class.

Professor Slughorn sat at his desk, his feet on its surface, watching the clock. He had let his class go for the double period to create a freezing potion - any kind - as long as they were completed by the end of class. Since most freezing potions took about two hours to make, and the class period was just over that, he had found the speed and frantic movements of his pupils as they hurried to complete the task. The story: find a way to steathily give someone the potion. The easiest way, of course, was to change their color or texture to be more palpabale; unfortunately, not all freezing potions were about to be changed in such a way without destroying their effectiveness.

"One minute!" He exclaimed, mocking his frantic students. The first group, a Slytherin boy and girl, gingerly carried their potion to the desk. They had also made a Russian Freezing Potion, a rare choice when most of the class had mixed a standard Freezing Potion. (The difference between the two types, and all the variou types of Freezing potions, was length of time and sideaffects.) Soon the table was crowded as students hurried to turn in their work, babbling about how much better theirs was over everyone else's. "Thirty seconds!" Slughorn called with glee.

Lily was hurriedly laddleing the clear potion into a cup, as was Remus. Their partners, considering their part complete, sat back relaxed. Finishing first, Lily carefully carried the goblet over to the table and afixed its label "Russian F. P.". Remus was right behind her, carring his Artic Freezing Potion.

Lily caught sight of the label. "Artic huh? Getting the easy way out?"

"Not easy, Lily," he replied quietly. "Try mixing anything with James making 'wand' jokes all class period."

Lily smiled, feeling sorry for him. The two were close friends, both being the top of their class. James and Sirius however did not know they were anything more than acquiantences, and that made it easier for them. They broke from the crowd of students dropping off and looking at the potions and separated.

"How does it look?" Sirius, always interested in being the best with the least amount of work, asked.

"We won," She answered tiredly, opening her Transfiguration book to study.

"Time!" Called Slughorn. "Everyone back to their seats!" One last duo slyly added their cup to the collection and scurried to their seats. "Hm. They look nice, everyone. I can see one - no, two - that are the wrong texture...and - " He looked up startled. "Lily? Sirius? Your Russian is the wrong color. It is supposed to be white - "

Sirius looked at Lily accusingly. "Sorry Professor, I was going to speak to you alone about that later..." She answered easily.

"Any reason you give, m'dear, can be said infront of the class." He said pointedly.

"This had better be good, Evans," Sirius whispered.

Lily smiled. "Well, Professor, you asked us to make it stealthy. So I made it clear, like water. It tastes like water to."

"How? The Russian - "

"It was easy, Professor," She cut in. She had everyone's attention. "If you add Stonewort - "

"It becomes impotent." He cut in.

"No, if you add to much or to little the Stonewort affects it so. If you add just the right amount, at a certain time with some kind of drink, the potion will take on that drink's tastes and color, and texture. You could not tell the difference." She answered triumphantly.

"And how did you come about this hypothesis?" He asked, staring. Sirius began to grin; however much she annoyed him, she was usually right when it came to potions.

"It's not a hypothesis, Professor, I proved it." She searched through her bag. Finding the paper she wanted, she rose and brought it up to him just as the bell rang for the end of class. "Heres my math," she said, raising her voice over the mass of students leaving. "And the trial's findings. Feel free to test it, but I am pretty certain." She smiled and turned. "I have to hurry to class, Professor. See you tomorrow." And she hurried out.

Slughorn watched her, proud.

The last student, a Slytherin, smiled. _That's my girl!_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: My chapter tend to be short and disjointed. this is due to time restraints, dramatic effect, or narrative reasons. if you have a problem with that then find another fanfiction to read. but this one will rock (I think so). check out the two other stories im working one too, their different (and mildly similar - a definite connection to _Love to Hate_). Read and Review. I take all reviews to heart and keep them in mind as I write so let me know what you really think.**

**Oh, and only Ashleigh is my character; the rest are Mrs. Rowling's. Cool?**

Chapter Two

Narcissa Black waited regally outside the Potions classroom, pretending to gaze at a set of notes, which was in reality a few blank pages stacked on top of each other. Lily came out of the room, Narcissa, known as 'Sissa' to her close friends, looked up eagerly. Upon seeing the redhead and not who she was actually waiting for, she glared at Lily, and she glared back in the few seconds in which they were in each other's presence. When Lily had turned behind Narcissa, she continued her pretense of studying.

"Sissa, if you are going to stand there, at least hold the door open," The Slytherin boy asked, amused. He was perfectly able to hold the classroom door open himself, which he was, the statement was true enough.

"Well, if you are so pitiable as to need a stronger woman to hold the door open..." She smiled, supporting the door open for him.

Ashleigh smiled, "Excuse me if I like a dominant woman." His eyes glistened mischievously.

Sissa stopped supporting the door and it closed behind him. Ashleigh spoke: "So you waited for me?"

"No, I was studying," She said looking around; the hall was empty except for a couple of Ravenclaw first years who looked completely lost. No one important could hear them then, but she still had to be careful. As far as anyone was concerned she was dating Lucius and completely in love with him. Truth be told, she cared more for the King, the boy before her, than she could ever care for the serpentine blonde.

Ashleigh Rider was the King of Slytherin, a position known only to Slytherin and few outsiders. He was to be listened, understood, and served to regardless of what he asked. In the past, the King was assumed, he was the most powerful, the most prominent, rich, and successful; the House knew not to cross the King. He was also the representative or Slytherin for the Headmaster: if any claim was made against the House or a group of its members, he was to deal with it. Lucius Malfoy was set to be King, as his grandfather had been before him, but Ashleigh had changed that plan. Needless to say, the two did not get along, especially since Lucius knew the King had his eye on Narcissa.

"Yes, studying for that class..." He said as they began to walk together.

Sissa looked down and back up, having found a topic safe to speak on. "Evans had an interesting display today." She said slowly. "Little Mudblood know-it-all - "

"_Sissa_," Ashleigh said sharply. "I asked you not to use that word in my presence." The King of Slytherin used his regal tone. Sissa stopped walking and stared Ashleigh down.

"Why, Ash?" Sissa dared.

"Because I said so, Narcissa." He said stiffly. "Get to class." He turned down the opposite hallway.

"Ash?" She called after him.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Evans! Hey EVANS!" James Potter called to the muggleborn from across the lawn. She was about ten feet ahead of the four boys, Sirius, James, Remus and Peter Pettigrew. She continued to walk ahead, not listening to him. Not taking that rudeness laying down, James ran ahead while his friends walked quicker to join up with the two. "Evans, I was calling you!" He grabbed her shoulders she stopped, looking at him tiredly.

"Oh, that was you? Sorry, had I known I would have - no, wait," she said, "I still would have walked away. If you will excuse me, Potter," She broke from his arms and continued down to Herbology.

"You were brilliant in Potions!" He called to her, rubbing her ego hoping she would stop walking. She didn't.

"Prongs..." Remus said in a sigh as they caught up.

"James would you give it a rest? You could have the pick of the litter around here!" Sirius said enticingly.

_I am going to marry that girl._ He thought to himself. He had never voiced that decision to his friends, knowing they would laugh at him. It was true enough for him, and he held onto that knowledge every time she turned him down. (Of course, he conveniently forgot his love for Lily every time Emily Wordsworth wanted to privately congratulate him for winning a game, or... just breathing... .)

To Sirius, James just laughed convincingly, linking his arm around his friend's neck. The quartet moved for Herbology.

**8o8o8o8o8**

Lily walked proudly away from James. He was always so annoying with his declarations of "love", and he had decided to bombard her with them every time they were near each other. She liked him, but not like this. And not enough to _date_ him; she cringed at the thought. She looked at her watch: fifteen minutes until Herbology.

She made a swift detour under a willow tree, its leaves hanging very low to the ground, successfully hiding her. She liked this tree; first year she had named it Willa, and she still sometimes referred to her by that name. She leaned against it's trunk and breathed out, hearing the boys as they crossed the tree. _They are early_, she noted. She loosened her bun, a hair style that she usually assumed, and let her arm down. Bronze curls bounced around her face as she shook them loose. She felt her chest expand, she allowed all of her stress to fall away.

And then the leaves rustled. She jumped back from the trunk to look at the intruder. "You know, Evans, you probably shouldn't let your guard down." Ashleigh Rider said loudly. He looked around perversely, because no one could see them now, and walked towards her. "Nice display in Potions," He said quietly.

"I was right," She answered in an equal tone.

"I know you were," He answered. "Malfoy is not happy; the opposite in fact." He looked at her. "You shouldn't do that."

"Do what?" She asked innocently.

"Lillian, you know 'what'. Show up the Slytherins in Potions. You are Slughorn's favorite - and you're a Gryffindor!" He warned. "You should watch your back."

"Trust me, Ashleigh James, my back is watched - without my say so." She returned tiredly.

"Potter can't always protect you." He said, walking out of the willow tree. He turned his head at the threshold, "And neither can I."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Lily sat at her window in the Seventh Year Girls' dorm listening to her girl friend, Caitlyn Moore, chatter about some new drama involving Rhonda Akon, her romantic nemesis.

"So McGonagall caught her, right? In an empty classroom snogging Amos Diggory! They have a month's detention!" She ended joyously. Though not fond of Amos, Cait was still bitter from when Rhonda seduced her boyfriend from her three years ago. From then on, the two were fire and ice. Lily cared little for the rivalry, of course siding faithfully with Cait, but not actively against Rhonda. "Oh! Did I tell you about Mohinder Patil?"

Lily smiled and sighed at her friend, the Gryffindor gossip. "Stop, Cait, I don't think I can take anymore!" She chuckled. "When do people tell you this stuff?"

"During mostly, or on the way." Cait answered, shrugging. "Oh, there's a rumor going around about Ash Rider," She began, looking closely at her friend. Lily swallowed but showed no sign of this nervous reaction.

"What?"

"Well, he has been spotted around with a certain blonde lately: a Ms. Narcissa Black!" Cait said triumphantly.

Lily played the eager-listener: "No way!" She reacted breathlessly. _Yes!_ She celebrated silently.

"Of course! And Malfoy is not happy about it...but what can he do, honestly? Ashleigh is way sexier."

Lily softly pushed her friend, "Ew!" They laughed. Cait and Lily were very different; but without Cait, Lily would be a quiet, unsocial homebody. "C'mon, Caitie, lets go downstairs..." She took her friend's wrists and led her out, still smiling.

**8o8o8o8o8**

The clock struck midnight. Cait had gone to bed an hour before, and no one had come by since then; odd when the Gryffindor teenagers were usually up at all hours of the night. Lily turned a page in her magical history textbook. She was awake, her body used to late hours. Fortunately, the dormant dorm allowed her to study in her sleeping clothes, without a robe which added to much heat, and her hair hanging loose around her shoulders and head, acting like blinders to all but the book before her.

"Lily, you still up?" Remus asked as he descended the boys' stairs. Lily looked up, startled. She turned her head to see him; the room was dark except for the roaring fire, which, although it illuminated her perfectly, cast an eerie glow upon him and the rest of the Common Room.

"Oh, hey Remus," She whispered, not wanting to risk waking anyone else. He moved to the couch, and flopped himself down. "Why are you still up?"

"Could not sleep." He answered automatically. "You?"

"Oh, studying, the usual. It was quiet until a second ago..." She looked at him in mock accusation.

"Fine, then I'll go!" He got up to leave.

"No!" She whispered urgently, pulling him back onto the couch by his arm. "You are not going anywhere." She let her book close as she leaned onto the tall boy. She felt him stiffen, and his neck move toward the window.

"You have two more days, Moony. You know that." She said meaningfully.

Remus's eyes widened, he pushed her off to look at her more carefully. "What?" He asked breathlessly.

"I know why you are called Moony. Where you go every cycle. Why you look like a scratching post. It doesn't take a moron to figure it out." She put her hands on his jaw. "No one else knows, save you and your circle." He could barely hear her, his blood pumped so loud in his ears, his mind racing.

He leaned in and kissed her.

**8o8o8o8**

He kissed her fast, hard and fully. He did not know when they would have this chance to be alone again, this time to be spontaneous and quick in a public forum. Her hands wrapped around his neck, as his hands roamed her body greedily, touching anywhere they could, while still holding her.

When he pulled away to breathe momentarily, she whispered in her pleasure-filled voice, "Oh...Ashleigh..." Upon hearing the name, he pushed her away, a look a anger crossing his face. And looked into his eyes, cursing herself for her mistake, and wondering what punishment she would receive from him.

**A/N: And it ends! I lovelovelove cliff hangers! WOOT!!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Lily walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, her stomach loudly exclaming it dire need for food. Her hand unconciously went to her stomach as she sat down beside Remus; across was James and Sirius, and beside her was Cait. She immediately grabbed the bowl of eggs that sat in front of her and began to dish them on the plate.

"Hungry, Lil?" Cait asked; all four of those circling her grinned.

Lily savored the first bite of eggs and answered, "Yes! I was up late last night and there was nothng to...snack on."

"Late doing what?" Cait asked.

"Studying, with Remus," she gestured to the boy sitting next to her. Remus, surprised, choked on his toast, coughing uncontrollably.

"Dude!" Sirius said, irritated as little pieces of toast landed on his plate.

"S-so-rr-ry!" Remus said as his coughing calmed. Lily and Cait laughed as Remus blushed.

"Remus, are you okay?" Lily ask, patting his back.

Remus took an intake of breath, his coughing complete. "Yes - fine!"

"So it was that much fun, Remus? _Studying_?" Sirius teased, glancing quickly at a silently menacing James.

Remus looked down at his half-eaten toast and eggs, stabbing the scrammbled breakfast with his fork and shoving it into his mouth.

Lily gave Sirius a sly smile. "Studying it always fun, Black, you should try it sometime."

"With you, Evans, never. My brain is just to, ah, big for you to handle. Jamesie's on the other hand..." Sirius grined widely as James hit him friend in the stomach to shut him up.

Lily stood, forgetting her hunger. "Hm, I beg to differ, Black, my brain could definitely take your's, and James' at once." She said, raising an eyebrow. She swung her left leg, the one closest to Remus, over the bench purposely slowly. "Maybe Remus's. We'll have to study again to be sure." She gently touched his shoudler and looked at Sirius with large green eyes, ignoring James's reddened face. Under to touch, Remus tried to hide a smile by taking a bite of his toast.

She left, holding in her laughter until she had made it to the stairs. Then, she lost all control.

**8o8o8o8**

McGonagall roamed the corridor, looking for a pen one of the first years had accidently turned into a rather menacing bird the day before. The hallway was dead silent, all the students in the lower floors. Or, she thought they were.

A shoe coming from one of the architectual crevices caught her eye. A pale leg was connected to the shoe, a streak of blood going across the calf. The professor huried to the leg, whispering, "dear, God!" as she came up it. There sat a pale lump of Narcissa Black, bruised, scratched, bloody, and knocked out cold. Thinking quickly, she hovered the girl to the infirmery. She could see the beating easily as the body was stretched out and floating. Someone was very angry with her. She could easily guess who that 'someone' was.

**8o8o8o8**

Lily stared down at her copy of _Using Potions and Concoctions in Self-Defense_, by Achibald Prewett. The words before her were a blur, her eyes to exhausted from the late night previously. She believed how she handled Remus's burst of affection was well done, even though she could not stop thinking of it. _How could he have...just done that?_

_Lily did not respond as his lips collided with hers. She sat completely still, too surprised to move away. When Rem us finally pulled away, she just stared at him. "Ah...um...well..."_

_"I am so sorry, Lily!" Remus said. He looked just as surprised as she did. "I...I didn't mean to... You are not angry are you?"_

_"No...Remus...it's just...wow..." Lily searched for the words as her mind slowly came back into itself. "So, do you like me?" That's what her mind came up with._

_"No, I don't," And at Lily's skeptical look, he continued, "I swear. We are close friends, and I have never seen more as more than that - conciouslyanyway -" he rushed through that quietly, Lily ignored it, hoping he would see her red cheeks as either the aftermath of the kiss or the fire. "But..."_

_"It was just a kiss. And we are just friends. It's fine!" She reassured him and patted his knee. She rose, "It's late, I'll see you in the morning."_

_"So...we're good?" Remus asked, wide-eyed._

_"Of course!" She walked to the staircase and turned at it's foot. "Do it again and you will have no use for a woman in your life." And she went to bed._

They were fine; she knew he was not lying, she could tell when people lied to her. But...it was weird to be kissed by someone she saw closer as a brother-friend than a boyfriend.

She just wished neither James nor Sirius ever found out.

**8o8o8o8**

Sissa's head throbbed, ending waves of pain beginning at the middle of her forehead, radiating out to the back of her skull. The rest of her body did not fare much better. She felt something heaving laying on top of her left arm and abdomin. She couldn't feel her right side at all aboveher knee, but her foot felt normal, at least. She slowly opened her eyes, dim candlelight illuminating enough for her to see the hospital wing around her: beds in two lines, floating candles, two large doors separating this from the outside world, and a door to Madam Pomfrey's office.

She made a noise in an attempt to see if she could talk as she manuovered to get up; her body would not let her do either.

"Don't move, Sissy," came a soothing male voice right next to her ear, she could feel his warmth very close next to her. "I cannot stay long; it will only be worse for you if I stayed, if I was seen. But I love you Sissa, and I am here." He kissed her forehead, and for a moment the waves of pain subsided.

"Ashleigh..." She was able to whisper. But his warmth was gone.

**A/N: She returns! "She" as in me...lol, whatever. Like? Review please, I read and heed!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Poppy, do you know what he - I, mean, what _someone_ did to Miss Black?" Minerva McGonagall asked the matron, Horace Slughorn stood beside her, waiting to hear what Madam Pomfrey had to say.

Madam Pomfrey, pale and weary from her late night, which had extended into and early morning and day, sighed. She had not slept in 36 hours. "She appears to have been hit by many jinxs, hexes, charms all in rapid succession, at a fatally close range."

"Which spells?" Slughorn said quietly.

"I cannot say. But I can say that the perpetrator used the Cruiciatus Curse at least once. More probably three times."

"How can you tell that?" Slughorn asked testily. He knew who they were trying to blame for this.

"Scarring. I do have my ways, Horace." Pomfrey said stiffly. She never liked Horace Slughorn. Something about his manner irritated her.

"How is she?" asked McGonagall, sensing the tension.

"Alive. And we have to thank a Higher Power for that."

**8o8o8o8**

_Lily, I need to speak with you. Urgent. Meet me at Willa, eleven._

The letter's consealment charm lifted as Lily read the note. She recognized Ashleigh's handwriting and wondered what this was about. She would go of course, she was intriged about what was urgent. She thanked the Hogwarts owl and handed him a treat before he flew home.

"Evans?" Came Sirius's deep voice.

"Black, can I help you?" She looked up at him, eyes set in a bright green glare, distracting him from the letter as she hid it in her bag.

"Ah, Evans, what is that look for? I'm just coming over here to see if you had done the Potions essay. I'm having trouble with it myself..." He added the last bit quietly.

"Well, uh, no," her voice softened quickly. "I was working on the one for Transfiguration. But if you need help..."

Black's face smiled, but his eyes were laughing. "Thank you! It's over here." Lily rose and went over to the next table with him. "See here..." Lily read over the essay, correcting him on his few mistakes.

"...But really, Sirius, you have nothing to worry about. Slughorn'll like it. I don't think the topic was meant to challenge us really." Lily said as she returned to her own table to gather her things. "I'll see you later in Ancient Runes, okay?" And she left, feeling weird about having a normal moment with Sirius Black.

**8o8o8o8**

"Did you get it?" Sirius asked ten minutes later in the Boy's Dorimitory.

"Yes! Man, I love that cloak..." James said wistfully as he pulled out the note he had taken from Lily's bag.

"Ah!" Sirius took it from him. The duo had seen Evans reading the note with a look of mild surprise. That and the fact that the note came from a Hogwarts owl, after the morning post, had peaked the pranksters's interest. Plus, they loved to mess with her. "Let's see here..." He unfolded the parchment and read: " 'Lily, I need to speak with you. Urgent. Meet me at Willa, eleven' " Sirius read it quickly, so excited to have pulled something over on Evans.

James had read it over Sirius's shoulder. "Who do you reckon wrote it? The handwriting, skinny and vertical...I've never seen it before."

"I haven't either. Well, I've seen handwriting like it...but not enough to be sure." Sirius said, suddenly serious. "'Meet me at Willa, eleven.' So he -"

"Or she!" James put in with more force than he intended.

"Or she," Sirius amended grinning at his friend, "is meaning to meet Lily at eleven tonight then. But where is 'Willa'? Think it's a person? I know Willa Stevens in Ravenclaw..."

"Why would they meet at a person?" James asked taking a few steps away from his best friend, needed room to breathe. He came up to his back and flopped backward onto it, his left leg still hanging off, as Sirius sat on his own bed, staring at the letter.

"So then what's 'Willa'?" Sirius asked nobody.

Yet somebody answered. "That's Lily's tree." Came Remus's voice from the doorway. James and Sirius looked up at him, startled.

"What?" James asked.

"The willow on the grounds, Lily named her Willa." Remus said as he took off his robes and tie.

"Surely not the Whomping -" Sirius began.

"Heavens, no! Who do you think she is? The willow tree, the normal one that Helga Hufflepuff planted on the shore of the lake. She likes to study under there. Why does it matter?" Remus said as he sat on his bed and removed his shoes. A light from the window reached him and his heart began to race. Tomorrow. He could feel the wolf begging to come out and play.

He brushed it from his mind; Sirius had spoken. "Nothing -"

"We heard her mention it today." James cut in. Remus would rather believe Lord Voldemort if he had said his only desire was to be a broadway star than believe his mates. But, he was tired and let it go. Lily could take of herself for an evening.

"Well, then. I'm turning in. Tomorrow night is going to be a little _hairy_ and i need to rest." He winked at them, using one of their phrases as he climbed into bed. James smiled and Sirius smirked.

The duo met eachother's eyes: the plan grew there, silently between them. Inivisibility cloak, a half-hour early, Hufflepuff's tree.

**8o8o8o8**

Narcissa woke then in the middle of the night breathing heavily. A cold sweat covered her body. Her nightmare was only a whisper of fear left in her mind. She wished she could remember what had happened: Why she could barely move, why her spine sent waves of pain across her body, why she couldn't speak. She want him to be there and tell her it would be ok. Both of them knew he could not be there. And that it would not be ok.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Lily parted the leaves, walking slowly under Willa's protective sheet of life. A twig broke under her step, but she gave it little heed. A small emission of light came from the other side of the tree, the side farthest from Hogwarts. She said nothing, only walked around the trunk, hand on her wand, just in case. There was Ashleigh, waiting anxiously.

He took sight of her and his face suddenly looked relieved. "Lily..." He walked over to her and hugged her. Slightly startled, Lily took a while to wrap her own arms around him.

"Ashleigh, sweetie, what's going on?" She asked delicately. She felt odd calling him 'sweetie', but it seemed he needed to be spoken to lovingly.

He pulled away and looked into her eyes. What she saw confirmed her own feelings: there was pain there, and worry and fear. "Ashleigh what happened? Wait..." She put her hand up and touched his chest. "Here, come with me," She grabbed his hand and hurried off to the woods. She wound around bushes and plants easily in the dark. There was a place on the edge of the lake there, hidden by rocks, a place for secrets that only those who wer meant to listen in could. She slowed and turned towards the rocks.

The teens shivered as they passed the magical barrier. "Here, no one can listen in. Just in case." She sat across from him on a rock. "Ashleigh, what happened?"

**8o8o8o8**

"Damn it, where are they going?" James whispered under the cloak.

"Where we can't follow. They'll hear us behind them, surely." Sirius said bitterly, pulling off the cloak.

"Lily must have noticed the letter was gone and guessed we'd nicked it." James said, straightening from the crouched position they had assumed by the trunk.

"Yeah, she a smart witch." Said Sirius bitterly. "Maybe if we went quietly..."

"Padfoot, the Logols are breeding. We'll step on one for sure, the way they accumulate around the 'limbs of other males'. " He quoted their Magical Creatures professor. "And I can't bear to hear that shrieking."

"Prongs, what the bloody hell has gotten into you?" Sirius asked staring at his friend. "You, shying away from mischief?"

"Sirus, I'm not 'shying away' from anything! I don't want to get caught by two prefects - " James said defensively.

Sirius's eyes widened. "Come here," he grabbed James by the jaw; his friend did nothing to stop him except:

"Padfoot, stop being silly - "

Sirius stared into the brown orbs and noticed a circle of copper around them.Though he had never taken a long look at James's eyes, he knew enough that the edges shouldn't have thin, luminescent copper frames. He let go of James's jaw. "Bloody hell, James! She poisoned you! That sodding little - "

"Sirius, it is not very nice to talk about Lily that way..." The poisoned boy chastized him. "Now, we should be getting inside, it is passed curfew. I just hope we don't get caught. Doesn't matter, I'll tell Professor McGonagall tomorrow anyway..." James babbled as he turned towards the castle. Sirius, hoping to find out exactly what Lily had given him, followed his friend, wishing secretly that he could record this good-boy rant of his.

**8o8o8o8**

"Where are we?" Ashleigh asked as they settled down on the rocks.

"The Secret Rocks. Only those that enter touching can hear what eachother say. Someone could be standing right next to me as I yelled and they wouldn't know I'd said a word." Lily asnswered with a smile. "What happened? Is Alia ok?"

He looked away. "No, father...father is threatening to... He says that there has never been one of _her _in our family before. That there can't ever be one..." He was not crying, but his words were enough to make Lily fight back a tear.

"He can't...he wouldn't, Ashleigh. Not to her..." Lily insisted, scooting next to the Slytherin King.

"Evans, you do not know him. God, if he knew who I was talking to...!" He said as he exhaled.

"Daddy doesn't want you talking to a mudblood, does he?" She said with a smile, elbowing him softly in his side.

Ash let out a laugh and nodded. "He'd kill you, then me. With out a thought." He added darkly. "Plus...Sissy..."

"Or not still on about her are you?" Lily said exhasperated.

"I'm not 'on about her', Evans, I love her!" Ashleigh said seriously.

"Agh! You boys and your 'love'! How can you love someone with such a passon - you're only sixteen years old!"

Ash smiled at her. "You're from a different world, Lily. In our world, we marry young and quickly..."

"So you say 'I love you' to every woman you kiss?" Lily was glad she had been able to change the subject so nicely.

Ashleigh smiled and pecked her cheek. "Lily, I do not love you!" He said triumphantly, grinning.

She laughed.

"But Sissa, she's is in the hospital wing." Ash sobered.

"Cait said she fell off a broom..." Lily said in a voice that said she doubted it.

"A broom named Lucius Malfoy. Evidently he has jealously issues." Ashleigh said bitterly. "They were _together_ in the seventh floor corridor...and she must have said something to really piss him off."

"What did he do?" Lily asked, wide-eyed in shock.

"Jinxes, hexes, curses - at point blank range. Madam Pomfrey said that he preformed the Cruciatus Curse three times." He looked like he was struggling not to throttle Malfoy and cry at once.

"Just because she said something about you?"

"Lily, the man hates me, possibly even more than he hates you! Wait until he finds out about Alia..." Ashleigh said. He looked suddenly around. "We had better go inside. Thank you...for meeting me... Oh, before I forget, Alia would love a letter from Rose, next time she can write..."

"I'll owl home tomorrow. Come on," She took his hand again and led him through the barrier, letting go once the magic has shifted out of them again.

The walked in silence, both in thought. The tried their best to keep away from anything that made noise; the plum juice Lily had on her shoes kept the squirrel-like Logols away. Lily wondered, as they neared the tree, if Sirius had figured out the antidote yet, not that the reversal of a Good Boy Potion was anything major (a squeeze of lemon was all it took). She had noticed Sirius's odd behaviour, coupled with the displacment of her bag when she had returned to her stuff those few minutes later. She was glad she had. The things Ashleigh had talked about were not for outsiders.

**8o8o8o8**

Sirius had, indeed, found the antidote quickly, and stationed both him and James outside the castle, awaiting the return of Evans and Rider. Both boys were angry about Lily's behaviour: poisoning James and going to god-knows-where with a _Slytherin_. And now, they watched under the guise of the cloak, watching to two walking up to the school, very close together. Sirius could feel James's blood boiling, and wondered what his friend was going to do when they got to the doorway.

Up the steps and to the door, Lily stopped and turned to Ashleigh. "You go first, I'll follow in a few moments." She whispered.

"Ok..." Ashleigh said, his mind on other things. He hugged her, and held tight, drawing from her. He let go and opened the doors slowly and left her out there.

Lily let out a sigh and moved slowly in a circle, her right hand on her forehead, a worried expression on her face. She turned around and looked back at the willow tree.

"Nice night for a walk, Evans?" Came Sirius's voice, deep and warning.

"What are you doing here?" She said angrily. She wanted a fight.

"_We_," Sirius said as James revealed himself as well, "We watching over you. A little difficult when you poison one of us! And then you disappear..."

"What couldn't find me on your little map, Black? Sorry to mess up your plans, but if you haven't noticed, I am not an idiot!" She yelled at him.

"Evans, what were you doing with the sodding King of Slytherin?!" James roared over her.

Lily looked at him with a evil smile. "Fearing a little competition, Potter? Worried quidditch captain is not the sexist man alive?"

"EVANS! You can't be serious!" Sirius cut in.

Lily gave them both a stoney glare. Her voice was quiet, though filled with malice. "Leave me and my affairs to alone. Good night to you both." She turned to leave.

"Oh no you don't - !" Sirius began, putting his arm out to stop her. With out a movement, Lily sent him flying halfway back to the willow tree.

"If you don't want to end up in the lake, you'd better let me go," She warned James who had begun to stop her.

"Lily..." he said quietly. She shook her head and went inside. James ran to Sirius's aid.

**A/N: so many questions right? got to love it!!! lol. so. who is alia? what is going on between ashleigh and lily? what about ashleigh and narcissa? why does sirius care either way and way did james barely say anything? but, most importantly, why does the king of slytherin value a friendship with a muggle-born gryffindor?**

**how do you like the episodic nature of the writing? it is done in short scenes, so that it moves quickly along, cut off at important points. its how i wanted this. but...more detail will come out as the chapters progress, more background and foreground will be given to the character and i will not leave you in the dark about any of the questions above for too long. Seriously, not long at all, hint hint. but...anyway...more to come when i can. love, meg**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you reviewers for the love!**

**Ok...so this coincides very little with **_**Deathly Hallows**_**, mainly because of i had this figured out before the book came out...ok? some similarity, but with different people. just had to let you'all know... cool?**

Chapter Seven

Ashleigh made it safely into his dormitory with little incident; the common room had been mostly deserted, its occupants too busy studying to notice him. Crabbe was asleep in his bed, snoring like a pig, but the room was empty of concious students. He readied himself for bed quickly, hoping no one would come up and see him awake. He had just laid into bed when the thought of the half-written letter on his desk. How he been so stupid?! He rose frantically from his bed and lit his wand to look at his desk; the letter was still there, just as he had left it. Of course, someone could have come up here and read it, but at least they had not taken it with them. He should finish it and get out it...how could he have left it out in the open?

_My Dearest Alia,_

the letter read,

_I hope school is treating you well. I told you learning French would come in handy one day! I will try to visit over Easter holiday, my dear, but I cannot promise you. I am so sorry that I have not been able to visit you more often. I promise you that will change once I leave here, and we move far from this place, together. I hope that Sainte' Cecille' is agreeing with you still. I know you speak so highly of it, but I worry about you there._

_Life here is the same, unfortunately, but I get along fine. Lily says hello and that she will send word to Rose to write you again; evidently Rose's schooling is very distracting as well. Lily is well and continues impressing the Potions professor, Slughorn, in her innate ability in the course. She will go far._

He hoped that no one had read it; that is a lot of questions to answer, and a lot of answers he could not give. He settled himself back onto his bed, and, writing on an old Transfiguation book, his finished his letter:

_The girl I told you about was hurt this week, she feel off her broom, we were told. She is fine now, she just had to spend sometime in the hospital wing. I hope to bring her with me if I visit over Easter; I think you will love her, Alia. I am certain that I do._

_I will have to cut this letter short. Write to me about your school and everything and I promise to add more about things here next time._

_Your faithful and beloved servant,_

_Ashleigh_

He smiled to himself. The inculsion of "servant", was a lasting joke between them. He flicked his wand and the letter sealed, placing on it a charm so that only she could open it when she recieved the letter. He placed the finished letter under his pillow and went to bed.

**8o8o8o8**

"Narcissa, my dear, are you feeling better?" Lucius Malfoy said magnanamously the next morning as Narcissa Black, discharged from the hospital wing, joined the Slytherin table for breakfast.

"Fine, Lucius. It's amazing what falling off a broom can do to a person!" She joked sweetly, sitting beside her attacker, accepting the kiss on her cheek as though he was not the reason she had been in the hospital wing.

Ashleigh's blood boiled. Lucius was too proud to admit the woman who was supposed to love him loved another man, but he would flaunt his relationship with her before the Slytherin King until either she loved fell in love with himself, or Ashleigh was dead. Either would be fine with him.

"Indeed, Narcissa, very clumsy of you." Ashleigh agreed. "Maybe you should stay away from the broom for a while, just it case it wasn't finished with you last time." Both his tone and his face laid out those words as a joke; but his eyes challenged the man before him. Narcissa and those around them laughed, but she was not fooled.

**8o8o8o8**

Lily sat two tables away, her head in a book, flat on the table above her plate. It was filled with eggs, bacon, and toast, but she wasn't hungry anymore: James and Sirius had both entered the Great Hall, faces set firmly forward except for the occaisional evil gloances from them. Lily's chest plummeted. She felt terrible about the night before; she should not have poisoned James (though it's not like she tried to kill him, she told herself), nor should she have sent Sirius flying (though it was fun...). She wanted to appologize, but not now, not when they were so cold.

She adjusted herself on the bench, trying not to look at either of them, even when she felt their burning looks on her side; they sat a few feet away, on the opposite bench. She almost felt like crying. She had a loyalty to the boys; though Sirius liked to make her blood boil, and James was by no means innocent, she had liked them, one more than the other. But, in this instance, her loyalty to Ashleigh overcame that of her Gryffindor mates. She wished she could do something, tell them what was going on. But she couldn't. Too dangerous.

Just then, the post arrived, owls dropping letters and newspapers onto the children below. The latest addition of the _The Daily Prophet_ plopped in front of her and James.

"Anyone we know dead?" Sirius asked, his voice level; he asked everyday, it had now become automatic.

"No..." James said, opening the paper and looking through it. "Three found dead in their homes, and a long-suspected Death Eater was found dead Surrey... And a family in Scotland...thats it." He answered just as normally.

Boys. To them the names in the paper were just names, faceless, lifeless. They meant something to Lily, they mattered to her. Every death, every person was a loss of life - whether entirely innocent or not - was a loss of something important in the world.

**8o8o8o8**

Ashleigh grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to him, his face searching hers, looking for permission. "Ash..." She breathed, neither denying nor accepting. He took iniciative. His breath was warm on her ear as he pulled her close, their bodies touching. He kissed her jaw line, then down her neck to its crook. She melted. "Ashleigh...if...caught..." She could not form a full sentence before she let out a very soft moan. His arms wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly to him. Relenting, her arms hooked around his neck, pulling his mouth to her own. His hands roamed her body, remembering its curves very well.

He pulled away and looked into her eyes. "Narcissa, I love you." She looked startled for a moment, then smiled. She laid a small kiss on his mouth, and deepened it.

"I love you too, Ashleigh."

**8o8o8o8**

By dinner neither Lily nor James and Sirius had spoken to eachother. Even during Potions, Sirius had said nothing to his partner, only casting his glares in her direction to address her. Lily came to the dinner table and sat alone again. James, however, was not alone: his mouth a accompanied by Emily Wordsworth, the two were plastered together, mouths appearing to try to eat eachother. Lily's chest sank. Arse.

She left dinner early, again not eating, and went up to study in the common room. The crowd disperssed early, she was alone by ten. It felt weird to be alone in the common room so early. She wondered why everyone had gone to bed so soon.

She hadn't much time to distract herself with these thoughts when James and Sirius came in, laughing about something, very loudly. Both sobered when they saw Lily inside.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere, Evans? Maybe the willow tree?" Sirius asked nastily. James laughed beside him.

Lily stood and narrowed her eyes at him. "No, whyever would I be there?"

"To meet you_ boyfriend_, Evans. Did the Slytherin King's stupidity _rub off _on you?" Sirius retorted.

"Nothing of his has _ever_ rubbed off on me, Black!" She sent back loudly.

"So he is difficient then? Doesn't surprise me, does it you, James?" He asked his friend.

"Nah! The bleeding Muggle-hater wouldn't like to be between the legs of a Muggleborn, who 'e?" They were drunk, off something, Lily thought. "I can't believe you Lily, snogging our enemy!"

"I haven't been snogging your enemy!" She all but yelled.

"No, worse - you've been snogging a friend!" Sirius shifted, his voice was harsh.

Lily blinked, startled. "What?"

James looked at his friend, startled like her. "Remus. I saw ye kiss him, Evans. Have a habit of shagging Jamesie's friends?"

"No, but he has a habit of poking mine." She said coldy. "I didn't shag Remus or Ashleigh Rider. But go on and believe what you want. If you ever want your facts striaght, ask." She bent down to grab her books. The boys sobered more, just before she turned.

"Fine," James said, "explain it then. Beginning with Lupin." James was mad. Very mad.

"There is nothing with Lupin. He just kissed me." She waved it off. "We are just friends." She said firmly.

"Fine," Sirius said, disbelieving. "And Rider?" His malice shown as he said the name.

"That is between us, I am afraid. I cannot tell anyone, or lives will be lost. But he is not the man you believe him to be, Sirius." Unsatisfied, Siruis and James made the same noise of disgust and tried to brush past her. She reached out and grabbed James's arm, her eyes wide and pleading. "If I could tell anyone, it would be you James." She said softly, her thum making a quick circle on his arm. She saw his eyes begin to close into the caress before he pressed on.

**8o8o8o8**

The next week was Easter Break, Ashleigh found himself sitting alone in his dorm room, fixing his green and silver tie. He was invited to the Malfoy's for Easter dinner, he had to go, his parents had insisted to the point of demand. He had reluctantly written to Alia, saying he could not come, but he sent her chocolates and flowers and a reminder of how much he loved her. He hoped she wouldn't be too mad. An upside, however, was that Cissa would be there, at the party. Maybe he would get a dance in?

Lily stayed over Hogwarts for Easter, feeling relatively alone. Cait had recently begun dating a Ravenclaw named Randal Jones; she spent little time in Gryffindor tower. James and Sirius, though forgiving her slightly but were not very close, they never really were. Remus was away tending his "sick mother" in the Shrieking Shack. Yes, she was quite along.

When classes resumed and life was meant to go back to normal, both felt as though they were floating around, listless. Malfoy's party had been well-to-do and tedieous, and Narcissa was held captive by young Malfoy the entire night. Ashleigh had not even been able to wave in her direction. Lily just dug her head into a book, finding it relaxing, and seductive; books couldn't hurt you like people.

And there was a large amount of hurt coming.

**A/N: Eh. That's this chapter. eh. Next: enter Alia and the afore mentioned Rose; Sirius and Lily have a heart to heart, and possibly more; and our lovely Snivellus makes a cameo.**

**Sorry for the spelling errors. im trying to weed them out. sound it out if you can't get it (though I hope they are not **_**that**_** bad!). love, meg**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: if this was a really badly written story this chapter would be called "the plot thickens". haha, i hate it when people feel like the have to tell me that. no duh, i get it, i can just read the damn chapter to know that the plot is thickening. dear god. whatever. sorry im in a bitchy mood today...**

**this is also the longest chapter, at least so far. contains: end of hogwarts, year six and summer break!**

Chapter Eight

Ashleigh Rider closed his Charms notes, sick of studying for exams. Why should he care? He was never going to use a charm that can only blow up fruit, ever in his entire life. Nor would he need to know how many Goblin Wars there were, for that matter. He tossed the book onto the floor to join its friends, his Transfiguration and Potions notebooks. He laid back onto bed, arms above his head. He close his eyes, breathing in, and out, nice and slow. His mood had been tense and angry of late. The school year was over, he was not coming back. Not if he could help it. Until then, he had to stress of school, Cissa, Malfoy, Lily, and, most importantly, Alia. When was the last time he had written her? Three weeks? Four? The days didn't matter, he had to wait a little while longer.

He breathed out again, feeling his neck throb as his pulse began to race: his mind had gone from her to Narcissa, the woman he loved. Why had he chosen her? Of all the pretty girls in Slytherin - in the world, really - he had to chose the betrothed of Lucius Malfoy, a man who hated him without question. Ashleigh knew that there never was a chance with Narcissa Black. She liked him, he knew that, she maybe even loved him. But she was spoken for, and, even if he had contested the marriage between them, it would put too much of an eye on him and his family; such precendings to change a betrothal were legal precedings, and they took time and usually destroyed at least one of the family's standing. He could not marry her, he knew that all to well. He put his hands over his eyes, rubbing them. He could steal moments with her, behind Lucius's back. Ashleigh was a gentleman, but Malfoy had the rest of his life with Cissa, and Ashleigh had only bare moments. He felt little guilt in snogging his girlfriend in secret.

He wanted her to meet Alia. To take her to France over summer break, to look into her eyes every day. Could he risk it? Could he risk showing Cissa everything?

Yes, he believed he could.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Exam week, Evans, and you aren't studying?" James asked in the Common Room. Lily was on one of the couches, reading a novel, her textbooks closed upstairs in her dorm. He sat down next to her. They had gotten over her and Ashleigh's meeting over the last month, though they still weren't very close.

"Potter, those of us that have studied all year do not need to cram the night before. Reading this," She gestured to her novel, "clears my head, so I don't stress during the exams, and don't freak out."

"And when you are 'freaking out' tomorrow morning because you haven't studied, I won't help you." James said with a sigh, opening his potions book.

"Because I would turn to you, O Great Genius, for quick studying." Lily returned, rolling her eyes.

"And I would be your Knight in Shining Armor, Lily." He answered, careful not to look up at her. He turned a page; they contiued to read in comfortable silence.

**8o8o8o8o8**

She had finally given in, and began to study two days later for their Transfiguration exam. The previous ones, Potions, Charms, and Ancient Runes, had been easy. Transfiguration, though she had no problems, was always a difficult exam. She sat in an empty Common Room, her notes open beside her, reading them half-heartedly. She had been in the same position, studying, for the last five hours. She had re-read half the chapters in her textbook and now went to her own personal notes. She was tired, her eyes blurring in rejection of the text.

Sighing to herself, she stood, moving around the common room to wake herself up. She went up to a window, looking out at the darkened nature; it was almost one in the morning. James was well into his Astronomy Exam, which was supposed to last until three. Remus was with him.

She conjured a bottle of butterbeer, the strongest brewed; although the drink tasted like butterbeer, it had a pretty strong alcohol content. She took a few sips, feeling the strong buzz from the drink. If she was caught...

A crooning noise from outside attracted her attention. A thestral glided out from the canopy, speaking to its friends. Another joined it.

"Surprisingly graceful creatures, aren't they?" Came Sirius's voice, directly behind her, startling.

"What?" She had heard him speak, but not what he had said.

"Thestrals, you may not be able to see them but - " He began.

"No, I can see them." This was the first time, possibly ever, the had spoken without yelling. They both sounded too tired to yell.

Sirius stood behind her, a few inches separating them. "I saw my uncle killed when I was nine," He answered her silent question. "He was killed by a fellow Death Eater. Hierarchal differences."

"My grandfather died in my arms, a month before I came here. He was very old, heart attack. He fell onto me, and died." Lily answered.

"I'm sorry, Lily. That must have been difficult." She turned to face him.

"Seeing a Death Eater kill your uncle isn't esay, I'm sure." She said.

"But when it's commonplace, it does get easier." They both stood there, saddened by what the other had said, curious because they were getting along, and incredibly tired.

"Where did you come from? I didn't hear you come in."

"I was in the Library. Madam Pince kicked me out a few hours ago. I was just walking around, before McGonagall found me." He said darkly.

"Why so listless?" Lily asked concerned.

"My cousin, Andromeda, she's moved out of my aunt's house. She is marrying a muggle. The entire family is up in arms." He moved to the wall, and leaned on it. He sighed and smiled ironically, "At least I'm not the biggest disgrace in the family anymore."

"Always looking on the brightside," Lily said, leaning next to him.

"Yes, well I am the burst of sunshine in this dreary world." He said bitterly. "My enitre family thinks so."

"Well, you make James laugh, and Remus, and any girl I know. Even myself, Sirius. And the Blacks are not your family, Sirius. We are. James, Remus, Peter...me." She said encouragingly, slightly awkward.

"You Lily Evans? I am related to you? God help us all!" He said, grinning at her.

"We are not related, Sirius: like I'd allow my blood to be sullied in such a way," She said playfully. "Just friends."

"Wow, I would have not thought we'd end up as friends. Fighting as we do."

"Some would say it was enevitable." She said. He turned to the side, to face her better.

"What was enevitable?" He asked. She smelled something stronger than butterbeer on his breath.

"What have you - ?" She began, but was cut short. By Sirius's mouth on hers. She felt her stomach flip just a little under his expert mouth. She gave in, not because she wanted to be kissing Sirius Black, but because of pure deprivation. She just wanted to be kissing someone.

**8o8o8o8o8**

Many floors down, Ashleigh had whisked Narcissa into his private dorm room. He kissed her deeply, both sets of hands roaming each other's bodies. Malfoy was finishing his Astronomy Exam, atop the school unawares that, at the bottom floor, his enemy was shagging his fiance'. Ashleigh bent his head and kissed her sensitive neck, causing her to moan. "Ash...should we be doing this?" Narcissa asked. Oh, she wanted to, very badly.

He pulled away, looking deep into her green eyes. "Narcissa, if you don't want to, say the word and I stop." He was being honest. If she was uncomfortable, he would stop -

"If you stop, I might die." She said dramatically and kissed him pasionately. His heart raced, his blood pumping low into his body.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"How was your Astronomy exam, James?" Lily asked the next morning at breakfast. He sat across from her, Sirius next to him. He ate his eggs quietly.

"Easy. I don't know why they kept us so late, the last two hours we just had to watch the stars move." James shrugged.

"James, you were supposed to record the star's positions!" Remus said, laughing lightly.

"Yeah, well, I passed anyway." James said eating his eggs. "What were you up to, Padfoot?"

"Not much. My cousin Andromeda moved out of my aunt's house. She's marrying a muggle." He said evenly.

"Hey, you not the biggest Black disgrace anymore!" James said, lightly.

"That's what I said." Sirius laughed. "So the entire family is up in arms. Father wants me to go home this weekend to help kidnapp her and bring her home."

"And you told him...?" James probbed.

"I told him to sod off." Sirius said with a grin. "Oh, can I stay with you this summer?"

James laughed. "Mum says you are welcome anytime, you know that."

"Good, cause I don't want to go home." He continued to eat his eggs.

"What did you do Lily?"

Lily, who had been staring at her food while she ate looked up. "Studied. Transfiguration began to worry me when McGonagall was so insistant on us preparing." She replied easily. "Are you prepared? You didn't get time to study."

"I'll be fine, Lil. It's me, remember?" James said, pretending to be pompous.

"Oh yes, James, nothing gets by you." Sirius said, with just a quick glance up.

**8o8o8o8o8**

Ashleigh sat across the room, eating his own breakfast slowly; his stomach was churning from pure joy. Two people down from him sat Narcissa, who had a permantate pink around her cheeks, which would darken when she looked at him. The previous night had been perfect. Afterwards, they just laid together, talking, holding their bodies close, forgetting about ever obstacle in their way of happiness. He invited her to go to France with him, if she could find a way. She told him she would, even if she had to run away.

"There is someone there you need to meet," He had said. She had responded with a smart remark, but assented. His world had been complete, for that hour. But she had to leave, to go see Malfoy. Despite himself, he felt a slight lift of power to know she had gone to see that horrible man after having just been with him.

"Lily!" Ashleigh whispered after breakfast. She had been walking alone down a hallway, James, Sirius, and Remus staying longer with the food than herself.

She turned the corner into a deserted corridor to follow him. "What?"

"I don't know...I am just...excited." He answered. "Narcissa is coming to France with me, to see Alia." He said.

"That's great. I'm happy for you, Ashleigh." She said, touching his arm. "So are you guys together then?"

"Covertly, yes. Under Malfoy's nose." He said. "It's kinda thrilling: sleeping with someone under another's nose."

"Is it?" She asked, feeling a little awkward. "Ash, I have an exam to review for...see you later!" She walked away.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"We need to talk," Sirius began, coming up behind her next. Was no one going to let her review before Transfiguration?

She turned to him. "No, we don't." She turned back around and began to walk.

"Lily! We can't just - " Sirius said, catching up and grabbing her arm.

"Yes, Sirius, we can. Did you mean anything by it?" Lily asked, searching his eyes.

"No," He answered honestly.

"Fine then, we don't need to talk about it." She turned and kept walking to McGonagall's, distracting herself with the exact movements of the various spells they had learned. She couldn't think of anything else. Great, now she was stressing.

"Miss Evans, you certainly are early. Your exams is not for another forty mintues." McGonagall said upon seeing her enter. The professor sat at her desk, grading the exams from the previous day.

"I wanted to review, professor, before the exam, but everywhere else is distracting. You don't mind, do you?" She asked, having never considered that she might not be allowed there.

"I think we can bend the riles, Miss Evans. If you wouldn't mind sitting in the back of the classroom." Students were not allowed in a room if exams were going to be administered, until ten minutes before the exam.

"Thank you, professor." She sat down and opened her notes, forgetting what happened the last time she tried to read them. _Focus. Focus, Lily!_ She told herself.

Her Transfiguration exam went surprisingly well, considering she was completely distracted with Ashleigh's leg bouncing up and down in front of her. She was easily distracted. She left the castle that day and breathed out with this saddening thought: _one more year left at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

**8o8o8o8o8**

_Crack_. Narcissa Black apparated beside Ashleigh. Without saying a word, she hugged and kissed him. "Hello," She finally said a minute later, slightly breathless.

"Hello, my jailbird. How did you escape?" He asked, taking her hand in his and leading her off towards a tree.

"I am visiting a family friend, since, once I am wed, I shall not be traveling alone anymore." She shrugged.

"But you are here now. With us." He said, kissing her hand.

"'Us'? What 'us'?" Narcissa asked, surprised, and suddenly irrationally jealous.

"Alia and I." Ashleigh said, grinning.

"Who is Alia?" Narcissa asked, vaguely recognizing the name.

"You shall see. This way." He lead her to the other side of the tree, not saying anything else to her. "Narcissa Black, meet Alia."

Narcissa's eyes widened in surprise.

**8o8o8o8o8**

_Sirius and James,_

_I will gladly attend your joint birthday parties! To be honest, I will be more than happy to leave here. My sister's comments are beginning to become intolerable, and my parents are working too often. Rose is just as sweet as ever, but she goes to a summer program all day. I am often just here, alone, reading or studying. Your party will be a welcomed distraction. I hope your arrangements there are going well, and that Sirius hasn't driven you to madness James. I will arrive by the Knight Bus on Thursday and, if your mother wouldn't mind making room for one more, will stay the night; my family is going to Alaska this weekend, and and somehow forgot to get me a ticket. Dad said they figured I would have "witchy" things to do. I don't know when they turned on my ability..._

_But, anyway, I shall see you in two days time then._

_Lily Evans._

Sirius folded the letter back up. Great, she was comming here for a weekend.

"Mum'll be thrilled. She loves Lily." James said, trying to keep to much excitement from escaping. Mrs. Potter had met Lily while dropping James off for the Hogwarts epress and had been enchanted by Lily's wit and intelligence - and how she handled her son.

"Yeah," Sirius said, not really listening. He stared down at the letter. He had to sleep under the roof as her for a night...he prayed it would all end well. Tomorrow. Or, he looked at the clock, Today.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Hello Narcissa, I have heard so much about you." Alia Rider said cordially. Her large blue eyes looked into Narcissa's, showing her gladness at meeting such a famous woman. Or, famous between Ashliegh and herself. Her jet black hair curly wildly about her plae face. She was Ashleigh; just younger, shorter, and female, Narcissa thought to herself.

"H-hi, Alia." She said awkwardly.

She rounded then on Ashleigh. "Ashleigh, you're late! You know I have a voice lesson at three o'clock! I am going to be late now!" Alia said accusingly.

"Then go! We shall see you later then!" Alia looked from Ashleigh to his girlfriend, smiled in goodbye and ran off in the direction of a large building behind her, that Narcissa had only managed to notice now.

"So..." Narcissa began, opening it up for him to explain.

"You have met my sister."

"You don't have a sister, you're an only child!" She knew his family very well, and no one had _ever_ mentioned another Rider-child.

"Alia is my little sister."

**8o8o8o8o8**

Lily stepped off the knight bus, her chest light, her stomach mildly fluttery. The Potter's house was a nice suburban home, without anything to make it remarkable, except its perfectly manicured lawn, which stuck out when the summer's sun was dessimated the other lawns on the road. She walked up to James's door and knocked. She waitedd, wondering if something magical would return her knock.

She was not in the least bit dissappointed when James and Sirius answered the door. "Lily!" He said jovially, giving her a hug.

She returned the hug, smiling. "Hi, James." Behind him, Sirius stood, arms crossed. His face was a mask, keeping all emotion hidden under it. James and Lily parted. James looked expectantly at Sirius.

"Padfoot, can you two not get along for my birthday?" He asked exhasperated. Lily and Sirius locked eyes. Keeping his mask on his face, Sirius walked to Lily and embraced her, stiffly at first, but soon the two warmed into it. They parted, looking down at their feet, both remembering the last time they had touched. "Thank you, Padfoot, for that present," he said rolling his eyes. "C'mon in, Lil, mum's dying to see you."

**8o8o8o8o8**

"You...you have a sister?" Narcissa said, still processing. Why was it so hard to accept? Because she had known the Riders all her life, and never known of another child.

"Yes, although my father, and mother would rather no one know that. In fact, as far as they are concerned, she is dead." He said although it was nothing, a mere, slightly interesting fact. He sat on the ground, facing the school.

"What?" Narcissa asked, breathless. She sat down beside him.

"Cissa, my love, I am about to tell you a very dangerous story. It is risking both our lives for me to tell you this. I am trusting you with not only my life, but my little sister's. If you wish for me to not tell you, say so now; I shall not hold it against you." He said evenly, softly, touching her hand.

Despite herself, Narcissa began to feel a tear in her eye, the only reason she could think of was because he wanted to be so open with her. "Tell me Ashleigh, tell me everything."

And he did: "My family is similar to yours, and Malfoy's: Pureblood supremascists, pro-Dark Lord, the whole thing. My sister was born when I was eight years old. I loved her instantly, I just connected with her. When she was two, she had not shown any magical ability; she was a Squib. Of course, you can imagine my mother and father's reactions to this news. Almost immediately he began how to be rid of her, and, of course, make it an accident. Which, is not hard considering she was only two.

"But I could not see her dead. I knew I had to save her, Cissa, so I owled Professor Dumbledore; I knew him only as an enemy of my family, of the Dark Lord. I knew he worked at Hogwarts. I told him everything, about her not being magical, about my family's intentions towards her, about me...not wanting that life anymore. He owled back half an hour later, asking to meet with me. I did, I brought her with me. We spoke, and decided to send her into hiding, to fake her death. His plan seemed so far-fetched, Cissa, but it was Dumbledore, he could do anything - and did. She was sent to a Muggle school in London for a few years, staying with friends of Dumbledore's, before leaving for France three years ago, with the same family, where she would attend a Muggle boarding school. I could write her, but only spartically, and I could visit her, but it had to be arranged. To the world, Mr. and Mrs. Rider's new baby girl was eaten by a loose dragon; there were eye-witnesses and everything.

"So life continued. I smiled and spoke about 'Mudbloods' and hid myself away. And then, Narcissa, I met you. I knew you were the one for me, even if I could not have you, you were it for me. I have wanted to tell you from the start...which is why I brought you here, once I knew you cared about me the same way." Ashleigh finished. He had not let go of her hand, but only looked into her eyes when he said her name. He knew she would understand why it was so dangerous: if anyone every found out about Alia, about his loyalties, it would be death for both Rider children; if they found out that Narciss Black knew, it would be worse for her.

Narcissa could not react at first. It was a lot to take in: The King of Slytherin was a Muggle-lover, the family that gave the world Salazar Slytherin and the Dark Lord himself, bequeathed a Squib, and he loved her enough to trust her with this. She could not speak at first. Instead, she took his hand more firmly, brought it to her mouth, and kissed it. "Then we must keep her hidden, don't we?"

**8o8o8o8o8**

James and Sirius's birthdays were only a few days apart, so their joint party was a good idea. Most of the sixth years in the three Hogwart's houses were there, Slytherins were absent, but no one cared. James and Sirius had dual thrones in the backyard of the Potter's home. Party favors flew around, people laughed, talked, and dnaced for hours, until, at two in the morning, after the now legalized boys gave them all a display of magical fireworks, everyone left.

Except Lily, she stayed to help clean up. Teenagers plus party equaled mess. Sirius and James cleaned magically, but clumsily, not knowing a lot of cleaning spells. Lily, seventeen three weeks before (she had not wanted a party), cleaned more efficently; it took about twenty minutes.

"I'd better be off," Lily said as the three met in the middle of the yard.

"Does someone have a curfew?" Sirius teased, not looking into her eyes.

"Mum and the family are away, remember?" Lily said, looking more at James than the one she spoke to.

"Lil, you should stay here, instead of going home to be alone." James said seriously.

"Nah, I'll be fine." Lily said waving him off.

"Lily Evans, do you think that my mother would let you go home if no one is there?" James said raising a brow. No, Mrs. Potter would insist she stay.

"Stay, Lily, you can go in the morning." Sirius said, looking into her eyes.

"Ok, I guess, as long as your mum would want me to." She resigned.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Lily, can we please talk now?" Sirius said, opening the door to her room, the guest room.

Lily had laid down only a few minutes before, but she was not asleep, only staring at the ceiling. She sat up on her elbows when Sirius came in. "I'm in bed Sirius." She wore a tank top and matching pants to bed. "Can't we talk in the morning?" She looked at the clock: it was morning, six in the morning. James was already asleep, and the other two had planned to be so too.

"No, not with James awake; you know that." Sirius said gravely, closing the door behind him.

Well, if they were going to talk, she was not going to be in bed to do it. "Fine," She pushed the blankets away and stood. "What did you want to talk about? The weather? Potions?" She said, eyebrows raised.

"Maybe you can forget it so easily, Lily, but I cannot!" Sirius was irritated; she was insufferable!

"I have not forgotten it, Sirius, but I cannot dwell on it either." She replied evenly. "I think it would serve us better to forget, I believe."

"So that we can be awkward around eachother for the rest of our lives?"

"Considering that, once James finds out, that won't be long, maybe." Lily said. "But he won't...at least not from me."

"Nor from me, and no one else knows." Sirius said quietly.

"Then what do you need to discuss with me?" Lily came close to him, to whisper. One could never be too careful. "You already siad you didn't love me -"

"Which you agreed to!" Sirius said defensively. She was not going to make herself a victim!

"Don't get me wrong, Sirius, for I do not love you; you are a friend," She said raising a hand to stop him. "We have expressed the same thing." She looked into his eyes. "So...why should we worry?"

"Lily," Sirius said flatly, "We had sex in the middle of the common room!"

**8o8o8o8o8**

That night, Ashleigh laid in the guestbed of Sainte' Cecille' School for Girls, Narcissa's head in the crook of his arm. His hand absently petted her head as she slept. He was emensly happy - so happy, that the word "happy" seemed stupid, and inapropriate to describe this feeling of elation. He had told her everything, and she was still with him. He had someone he knew - someone he could go to.

But there was another side of that coin. He now had more reason to worry for her. It was not her own secret she bore, but his, weighing down her person. If she accidentally said the wrong thing, said even Alia's name, or anything about France, it could mean the end for him and his sister. It would mean torture, and possibly death for her.

Why did everyone he love have to be in constant danger?

**8o8o8o8o8**

"I know perfectly well what we did, Sirius!" Said Lily, a light pink spreading on the apples of her checks, but whether that was from what he said, or her irritation, she did not know. "And technically, it wasn't in the middle of the common room," She said, trying to add some humor lest she strangle the boy before her.

"The wall counts, Lil," He said. He grinned remembering. He had not been able to forget, niether had she.

"So why did we need to discuss this?" She felt her breath coming heavier as her mind wandered to the memory. She did not bother denying the act, but she had tried not to think of it. Her heart began to pound, her stomach flop. Oh, shit...

"I just don't want things...to be...awkward..." Sirius felt the same change in himself, the memory of sex in general weaseling its way around his mind.

They stood for a moment, gazing into eachother's eyes, somehow only inches apart from one another. Sirius's hand grabbed her arm and pushed her away lightly. "Lily, I fear if I stay any longer, we might have a repeat evening together." He said. "I had better go, good night." And he was out the door. He was right, she thought her mind clearing, they would not have stopped once instinct took over. Or, their own desireous natures took over.

But she loved James, there was no question. Sirius was an accident - one that her body seemed to miss, but one she would never repeat. She just hoped that James would not find out; being kissed by Remus is one thing, having sex with his best friend on the wall of the common room was quite another.

**A/N: you know you love it! lol. anyone sad they missed three sex scenes? sorry, guys, you'll have to wait a while for those. thoughts on this chapter? please review, even if you have already done so, and let me know. there is so much to it...so much added drama! lol, but who doesn't secretly love that?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: over a year! i am so sorry guys! shit just got in the way - graduation, college, drama, my own novel - and the fanfictions were lost along the way. i reread the previous chapter and found some incongruities, but i will not change them just now. really...it doesnt matter. just a small goof. anyhoo, read on...**

Chapter 9

Lily crawled back into bed. Still she could not sleep. Her confusion over the two boys was leaving her chest heavy. Her worry over Ashleigh was quickening her pulse. Her pain at being left by her family made her heart sick. She stared at the ceiling, her mind going over what Sirius had said, what she had thought. What she wanted most was for that complication to not have happened. She envisioned the wall of the common room with a massive sign that read: _Here, Lily and Sirius both betrayed the man they loved._ She did not regret it - she had made the decision after all, no matter how clouded or lust-filled she was, she had made it, and now had to live with the consequences.

She had not noticed anything was wrong until she tried to roll over. And found she could not move.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Lily!" There was yelling and hard knocking on her door. "Lily - it is almost noon!" Normally, both James and Sirius would sleep until well passed noon, but Mrs. Potter had seen fit to wake them both because they had a guest. But their guest had not crawled out of bed yet; both boys knew Lily to be awake by eight-thirty every morning, regardless of when she went to bed, or when she needed to be up. But it was well passed then, and she was nowhere to be seen. "Lily?" James's voice slacked slightly.

"EVANS, OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" Sirius called, banging hard. He was becoming annoyed now.

"Sirius - watch your language!" Came Mrs. Potter's light call from the kitchen. She was not worried about Lily sleeping so late, but she did not know the Muggle-born like the boys did.

"_Alohamora,_" Sirius said, pointing his wand at the door.

Lily was staring at the ceiling, her legs placed in a seemingly comfortable way, arms behind her head, cradling it, back slightly arched. She wore the same shirt and shorts as she was when Sirius had left her. In fact, at first glance nothing seemed amiss. Except that she was not breathing, nor moving.

"Lily?" Sirius was the first to breathe her name once the two had entered the room. James was speechless, instead running for the girl. James put his hand on her stomach and shook lightly. Sirius was behind him now.

"Mrs. Potter! Come quick!"

**8o8o8o8o8**

St. Mungo's was a dismal place, Ashleigh Rider decided. Sure, it was clean, and yes it constantly smelled lightly of honey and jasmine - but, that did not mask its purpose. A hospital. Ash was not a fan of hospitals, in fact, he steered clear of them the best he could. Something about sick people bothered him; seeing them, hearing them, speaking to them. So this was only the third time he had been in St. Mungo's. But he had to see Lily.

Lillian Evans and been admitted into the hospital after being poisoned with her own concoction. Oh, sweet irony. Her findings on the brilliance of Stonewort had been sent on to a potions magazine publisher, though had not yet gone to print. (Not until they editor had made sure her findings were correct, of course.) So few knew of its properties and uses in connection to the Muggle-born. And yet, what she thought was merely water at the birthday party had been a paralytic poison, one that, were she left alone for a few more hours would have frozen her body completely, until it reached her lungs, and stopped her heart. Had she gone home, and been alone all weekend, she would have died.

A chill went down Ashleigh's spine as he made his way down the hall. He was risking a great deal, visiting like this. But Alia could not come, and she needed to know Lily was alright. Ashleigh, if seen, could explain away his being there as checking on his grandmother, who everyone knew to be dying of spattergroit. He did not plan of ever visiting the hag, but she would be a decent scapegoat for the time being.

He arrived at Lily's door. It was closed, but he did not bother to knock. He did not want to be seen hovering outside her door. He opened it and slipped in, not looking around the room before he closed the door.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Ah, Sirius is here, Ashleigh thought bitterly just before he turned. And James and Remus as well. A party then.

"I have come to visit." Ashleigh returned with the obvious answer, his eyes matching Sirius's for a moment. They then travelled to Lily and his expression softened instantly and he moved for her - but a body blocked his path.

"Leave, Slytherin." James was in his way, his dark eyes like stone.

"James," Ashleigh said, looking straight through him. They were about the same height, Ashleigh was slightly taller. The blue eyes were still soft, both from Lily's state, and understanding the worry in James's face. "I have come to see my friend. Please, let me by."

"Prongs, let him go," Remus said softly from the corner. "He can't do anything with us here. He wouldn't dare."

Ashleigh was somewhat annoyed that he had been let go - for James did begin to move out of the way - only because they would kill him before he could hurt her, and not because they trusted him. That would come it seems. He went to her bedside, across from where Sirius still sat, and where James was sitting now. He touched her hand gently. "Has she woken yet?" He asked them in a quiet tone.

"Briefly, yes." Remus answered when the others would not. "They put her to sleep again, until all of her organs are back, and she can eat again. She should wake soon."

"And her family?"

"They visited for a few hours. You missed them by an hour or so." Remus said. Though his tone was trying for neutrality, Ashleigh could tell that he was annoyed that her parents had not stayed.

"I shall visit them later, then." He whispered, hand moving to pet her head.

James began to move to stop him, eyes flashing, but Sirius stopped him. "How did you know she was here?" Sirius asked in a stiff tone.

"Rose sent me an owl." He answered. He was too distracted to care that he was approaching a dangerous territory.

"Rose? Sent you an _owl?_"

Oh, damn. Ashleigh's hand fell and he stood straight, looking at the two boys. Their faces were calling him a liar. "Yes. The moment she heard, I believe. She sent me a message with Lily's owl. It always knows where to find me." He did not care, anymore. For all they hated him and everything they believed he was - they were also on Dumbledore's side.

"But why you?" It was Remus's turn to jump into the interrogation.

"Because she is my friend, Remus." He was not bothering with the use of last names here. Here, he saw them as equals, brought together for care of the woman on the bed. The woman whose eyes were open.

"Would you stop attacking him?" Her voice was scratchy, quiet, and tired, but all four of them heard her easily over their own words.

"Lily," James touched her upper arm lightly. "How are you feeling?"

Ashleigh knelt beside her, touching her arm as well.

"Annoyed by how you are treating him," She answered. Her green eyes were dark from her ill health, and her skin was without any coloring at all. She looked as sick as she was. "Can you not fight anymore?"

"Yes, of course," James replied, clearly just placating her.

Her head moved to look to Ashleigh. "Hey," She said, smilingly slightly. "If they bother you, let me know; okay?"

Ashleigh chuckled and brought her hand to his mouth. "Yes, my lady." Sirius looked like he was going to puke. James looked like he was going to murder the King of Slytherin. "Do you know who did it?" He said, turning to the Gryffindor boys.

Her expression darkened, but it was James who answered. "No," He said flatly. "Why - do you?" He asked in an accusatory tone.

Ashleigh gave him a flat look that clearly said "no." Aloud, he answered, "If I did, you would know already, Potter."

Moments later, Healer came in and shooed the boys away so he could take a look at Miss Evans. They stood in silence outside for a bit before James and Remus left to find coffee. It was around ten o'clock in the evening now, and neither of the boys had slept since they had gotten there; James and Sirius had been there for two days. Unfortunately, only Healers and the like could Summon things within the hospital, so James and Remus were forced to go on an actual hunt.

Ashleigh and Sirius stood awkwardly for a beat. "Sirius, I lied to you in there."

Sirius was alert instantly, oddly surprised at this admission. "You know who did it then?" He asked in a dangerous tone, guessing easily.

Ashleigh felt a wand poking into his back. "You cannot tell James, not yet. He cares too much, he is too irrational. I wrote to Dumbledore already; he knows."

"Who is it then?"

"Malfoy." Ashleigh breathed, whispering now. Before Sirius could ask how, he answered that as well. "He made himself appear as Amos Diggory at your little party. He remembered what Lily had said in potions class months ago, and figured it out with Slughorn's accidental help." Sirius looked murderous, but Ashleigh grabbed his arm. "You mustn't seek revenge, Black. Not yet, not now. They need you in there. She is so broken, even if she won't admit it; her pride is gone. And James's love is lying ill. You cannot leave them to be a hero. Even if you love her, as I do."

Sirius was about to reply that he did not love Lily Evans, but found that to be a lie. He did. Not as James did, of course, but as one would love a little sister. He saw, too, that Ashleigh's words were truth. "Fine," He breathed. "But I will not hesitate again, Rider. If he tries again - "

"He won't. He has already succeeded in turning her own genius against her. That is what he wanted."

"How do you know this?" He asked, peering suspiciously again.

"I am the King of Slytherin, Black. There is little that does not cross my path."

**8o8o8o8o8**

_My Dear Narcissa,_

_I am sorry for not writing to you sooner. I arrived home four days ago, safely and healthy. I heard you ran into a little weather trouble. It is a good thing that Lucius was there when you landed; warm, dry arms are a good thing after such an experience. I do hope you have not taken ill from the rain, though I know your constitution to be sound enough to handle it. My business took me away from my desk, so again I apologize for waiting so long to return your letter._

_I would love to drop by for tea this Sunday. Father and Mother have already sent an owl to your home accepting the invitation as well. Will Lucius be joining us as well? It will be nice to see old friends again, I fear my travels abroad have given me a rather dismal view of the French and their social gatherings. Too much cheese and wine - I definitely think it should be removed from your list of possible honeymoon locations. By the way - my family and I cannot wait for the wedding - June 3rd is coming fast!_

_My Grandmother is improving, thank you for the inquiry. She is out of her room and safe and sound in the comfort of a more homey environment._

_Please give my regards to your parents and sister._

_Sincerely,_

_Ashleigh Rider._

Ashleigh sealed the letter and attached it to the outstretched leg of the family owl. It felt odd, writing in lies and code, and yet thrilling. He sent the owl off and leaned back in his chair.

It had been two weeks since Cissa had left him in France. She left a day early because they both decided that she not being able to be away from Lucius any longer would quell any questioning about why she and Ashleigh were both vacationing in the same country at the same time. Although jealousy flooded his entire being as she took the train to Calais (and a mass-transit flight wizard-style back home; she had not yet taken an Apparition test), he knew that it was for the best. He also knew that, back on English soil, she was not his Cissa anymore.

And June 3rd was going to take her away forever. It seemed Lucius was not going to take any chances that she would leave him once school ended. And what was even crueler was the letter received from Lucius, before the one from Narcissa, telling him of the set wedding date, and asking him to be the best man. Lucius was an evil bastard.

Although he had told Dumbledore of the young Malfoy's guilt in the poisoning of Lily Evans, no evidence could be taken as proof. And, since Ashleigh could not be used as a witness, or even mentioned within court proceedings, the case against him was dropped. He heard from Dumbledore that it took Hagrid, Remus, and Sirius to keep James from running off and killing Malfoy right then. James eventually gave in and promised to not hang him by his genitals from the whomping willow, as he had planned.

Lily, meanwhile had returned home after four days in St. Mungo's. She was in full health, and making up for lost homework time. She wrote back in forth between James and Sirius and Remus more than she ever had before, she mentioned in her last letter to Ashleigh. "_I find my affection growing for them," _she had written in that letter. In his return, Ashleigh pointed out that her that "them" was actually a "him." He could imagine her flushing with both embarrassment and denial at the comment.

**8o8o8o8o8**

Summer flowed on. Ashleigh wrote to Cissa only rarely, because too much correspondence would be considered both suspicious and indecent. Lily found herself separating further from her parents even more, and, soon, she was sending and receiving letters more than once a day with James Potter. She was invited to tea on one Sunday afternoon in early August with the Potters. Before she left, James kissed her. And that was that. He never asked her to be his girlfriend; it took one kiss and a lot of schmoozing for her to give in. If one were to ask when they started going out, each had their own answer: Remus would say there was no beginning; Sirius would say when James's head came out of his arse; James would say when he kissed her; and Lily would answer when he was graced by God.

Neither Sirius nor Lily had told their friends about the evening in the Common Room, and neither planned to. Their banter back and forth continued without a hitch. Lily found herself with one big-headed boyfriend, and three very different, and very protective brothers. Cait had written to her only once, and only to tell her she and her family were moving to Germany. Lily would miss her, but not greatly so. Despite being alone at home, she was happy. Her only worry came with the last year of Hogwarts coming up fast. She did not worry about the work load, or the tests. But, instead, the future. Protected, they were, within the castle walls, shielded from most of the problems the Lord Voldemort was beginning to case. And her attack was proof that that safety was beginning to wane. She had a circle of protectors, but still. James always spoke of a family, a home, a life with her. What if things became worse?

What would happen to their family if Lord Voldemort's power grew?


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: ****so it has been a while, has it not? i am sorry guys, but my focus is so shifty and i get so busy things fall through the cracks. this story was one of them. i'll try to be better. ****just for a little fyi, after that ender: this will not be going up until the murder of lily and james. that is mrs. rowling's part of their story, not mine. so, technically, you know that ending...hmm... lol. hope you like it so far all! please review, they make me happy, even if they are bad ones.**

Chapter 10

_Evans -_

_I had a dream about you last night and, to skip the more exciting details, it was rather pleasant -_

Lily could easily imagine James's smirk and she blushed a little. She read on, hoping he would get to the point. Turns out, he didn't skip all of the details, but he did stop just short enough to keep her face from totally burning off.

_- I say this not only to excite you, Lily, but to show how very much I miss you. And how sorry I am that you had to cancel tea. I hope Rose's birthday was good. I'll be round tomorrow - or, as I notice that my clock says 12:30, today by now - at lunch time to drop off her gift and relate to you my dream in more detail, if you wish._

_Knock, knock._

_James._

As she read his name, there was, in fact a knock at her door. It made her jump. "Y-yes?" She called looking at the door fiercely.

"There is a boy at the door for you." Came the annoyed voice of Petunia.

Lily smiled. She glanced at the clock - it was only ten; James was early. _Ruddy bastard_, she thought, still grinning. She fluffed her hair in the mirror and looked down: she was still in her sleeping clothes, a green tank and black shorts. Damn him. She threw off the tank top, put on a bra and a t-shirt advertising the company her father worked for that was a good size too large and put her hair up into a pony tail. She wasn't exactly fit to meet the queen, but it would do. She burst out of her room and went a little more demurely down the stairs. He wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"James?" She called, looking around the entrance and the connected sitting room. There was a slow, but deliberate knock at the door. "Oh, for the love of God!" She opened the door.

James Potter stood there, leaning against the jamb. At first he looked slightly annoyed, but once he saw her his face lit up. "Did I time it right?"

She smiled and moved to let him in. "Almost." She kissed him then, long and full. "Your letter was so vague - you'll have to explain more later." She was able to give him one more kiss before there was a thudding of more feet nearby. She let him go and dragged him from the entryway and into the kitchen, where her mother had just entered. Her parents had met James a few times before, mainly at Kings Cross when they dropped Lily off.

"Good to see you, James," Elaine Evans smiled at him kindly. Elaine was a pretty woman, though her daughter outmatched her, and she looked a little tired, a little worn. She had dark blonde hair curved into a bun, and brilliant green eyes that did equal her daughter. She wore simple clothes, which were a bit dirty. She must have been working outside this morning.

James, who was holding Lily's hand, let go to extend it to her mother. "It has been a while, Mrs. Evans." He said, flashing his most dazzling good-boy smile. Elaine took the hand gently. Her hands were rough, but her grip was kind.

"But you are here now. I am sorry William is not here; he was called into work." She said with a sorry smile. "But, no matter."

James continued to smile politely. He realized then that he didn't know much about Lily's home life beyond the fact that they were becoming more and more disgruntled with her abilities. Today was a Sunday, and the day William Evans was to meet his daughter boyfriend – instead, he was at work. Was it truly so important?

"Okay then," Lily said to break up the silence. "We are going upstairs then." And before Elaine could say anything, James found himself halfway up the stairs. The house was small, old, though well kept. The stairs creaked loudly and some of the walls looked cracked, but it was definitely clean. The downstairs, it seemed, held the kitchen, sitting area, and a small dining area. Upstairs were four doors.

"Those two," She pointed to the left of the stairs, "Are Petunia and Rose's rooms. This door," She gestured straight ahead, "Goes to the attic, where mum and dad sleep. And at the last here," She turned right, "is mine." She opened the door and let them in.

It was small. It held a twin-sized bed stuffed into the corner, with a small desk and chair in the other corner, under a window; the two items touched. At the foot of the bed, with only two feet between, was a closet. He entered and closed the door. In the final corner were two thin bookshelves that held a myriad of books. The walls were a pale, sickly yellow and held shelves of still photos of her family, trophies and certificates of her achievements, and a few drawings done by a child. Rose, he guessed, though they looked very old. Lily sat down at her desk, where two textbooks were open. James positioned himself on Lily's bed.

"So?" She prompted, clearly expecting something from him.

He took another glance around. "It is adorned with bits of you, definitely." He said. "But it is rather small."

"Yeah, it is. But you get used to it." She said, now wearing her mother's sorry-smile.

"_I'll_ get used to it, Evans? Rather presumptuous, aren't you?" He said, charming a genuine smile back onto her beautiful face.

Grinning, Lily joined him on the bed. He leaned back onto the wall and she curled into him. There was something in his pocket, however, that made that difficult. She reached down and into his pocket. "Hey, now, shouldn't you lock the door?" He teased, though he knew full well what she was going for. She pulled out a small wrapped package. "It's Rose's birthday present." He explained.

"Oh, right." She said, spinning the small box in her fingers.

"I should give it to her – " He moved to get up, but Lily held him down.

"No, that's okay. I'll get it to her later." Lily said, putting the present on the desk. She looked at him. "She isn't well, still."

James straightened. "Still?"

Lily looked down a moment, and then back up again. "Are we to the point in the relationship that you don't mind listening to my baggage?" Her question was more of a warning.

James straightened and looked at her seriously. "Go on, Lil."

"Okay then. Rose has an MJD." She said. James blinked, surprised. MJDs, or Magical Rejection Diseases were very rare – less than twenty cases had been documented in the past century. They have a eighty-percent mortality rate, and the one "cure" out there has an even higher death rate, and it is very expensive, Lily explained. "She is okay, most of the time. There are just bouts…when it is set off. She has seizures or flu-like symptoms or countless other problems. It isn't always the same."

"What sets her off?" James asked. He had been silently listening up until then.

"You know when you were little and you would get angry and break a glass or if you were happy things would levitate?"

"Yeah," James said, though for him it wasn't as memorable as it would have been for Lily.

"Things like that - extreme emotions or situations make her magical instincts kick in. And then her body moves in to stop what it sees as an intruder and it attacks it. Like an autoimmune disease. She will be okay in a few days." Lily said.

"You're sure?" He asked, honestly worried.

"Mostly. As she gets older her chances of survival lessen. Once she hits eleven and the flood gates to her powers open…the survival rate is less than five percent. She needs to get the procedure – they call it the Clearing – before then. But it is expensive. They went to Alaska – remember? – to talk to an expert there. He is the only one who does it and it costs around one-hundred-and-fifty thousand American dollars – and she may not even survive that."

James blinked. Clearly…there was little hope. "But she is strong," Lily continued. "Even the Alaskan – Philips, Artie Philips – was surprised at how healthy she was still." She paused. "But that is why mum and dad are becoming angrier with me: I think they blame me for Rose's illness. They resent the magic, and rightly so. We are able to give her a potion that helps her sleep through the worst of her bouts without her body reacting to it. My stonewort experiment helped with that. But beyond that I am not allowed to mention magic anymore."

There was a silence. "Sorry. I know, it is a lot to digest. I am sorry to overload on you."

James was still. It was a lot to digest. He leaned in and kissed her gently. "I am here for you. No matter what."

**8o8o8o8o8**

Ashleigh Rider stepped onto the train and felt a moment of sadness. This was his last year. He wondered how it had gone so fast. And why he squandered that time with power struggles and drama. It felt like a waste – though he wasn't sure what else would have happened, since others probably dealt with similar problems. They all just seemed petty. He also felt afraid, because he knew, after this year, everything would change. He would leave England – just disappear. Find his sister and probably settle in Italy. Maybe America. It didn't matter: all that did matter was that he would be gone before the conveyor belt into the Death Eater movement caught him. It was already becoming difficult. People were whispering about him. His parents were becoming less subtle about their grand plans for their son. He didn't have long. The war was on his doorstep.

He wanted to turn left, but knew he couldn't risk not being with the Slytherins. The more he knew he had to stay away from them, the more he needed to be surrounded by them. If he began to separate, it may throw up flags. And he needed to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible. Because of this, he had written to Narcissa and told her they needed to end their relationship.

He had been stupid to go ahead with it in the first place, and, when their correspondence slowed, a cooler head was finally able to prevail. He loved her, that hadn't changed. But he needed to stay on Malfoy's good side, and so did she. It may seem as though Ashleigh had the power in Slytherin, but he didn't want it, and Malfoy did – and he would take it. Ashleigh planned on giving him the power, unofficially. And that included keeping himself from Narcissa Black.

He entered the Slytherin car and found an empty compartment and settled himself in. Another year, a last year.

The door slid open.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Okay – J – James," Lily laughed against her boyfriend's mouth. They were enjoying the few moments alone in their own compartment. It had been far too long since they had last seen each other - three whole weeks! – and James clearly wanted to make up for lost time. "Seriously, I need to breathe." She said, pushing him away. Her face was bright read, and his was even a little pink.

He stayed close, unable to not touch her. "You drive me crazy, Evans." He said, rubbing her side slowly.

She chuckled, deep and slow. She moved her fingers to curl the tips into the band of his pants. He instantly went a shade darker. "I know." She whispered.

The compartment door slide open then. "Ah, Prongs, Evans, I thought I heard your moans down the hall." Sirius said, very loudly, as he entered. Remus followed, blushing just for intruding on what was obviously a private moment.

James sighed and leaned his head on her shoulder. "Damn you, Black." He said, half-joking, half-serious. He straightened and turned. Lily was calming down her blush and her smile while she straightened her clothing. Sirius looked at her and quickly looked away. He knew that face. Lily slid into a seat, and James followed her.

"Hello Lily. Have a good summer?" Remus asked, raising a brow.

"Clearly." She replied, grinning. "Could have been better though. That whole hospitalization thing wasn't so great." A shadow crossed James's face, but she touched him, reassuring him that she was okay. "How was yours?"

"Good as it could have been. Sorry to have missed what I heard was a very exciting party." He said, only a little bit more sour than normal. "But, that time of the month…it didn't work out." He said, sitting across from her.

"S'all good, mate." Sirius said, clapping him on the back.

Remus smiled, somewhat eased.

**8o8o8o8o8**

He knew it was her before he even turned around.

"You're a bastard, you know that?" Came her strained voice.

Ashleigh turned around just as she closed the curtains on the compartment. "Narcissa…." He began, but she interrupted.

"You think that you can 'save' me the 'trouble' of dating you, Ashleigh Rider? Think again! I know the risks – I knew them before we…before I agreed to this." She said defiantly.

"I know you know, Narcissa, but we can't risk –"

She moved across the small compartment and pointed at his chest, only inches from him. "You do not get to decide this, Ashleigh. Break up with me if you must, but don't do it to protect me! I am a _Black_ – I can care for myself just fine." She said a little louder.

"I know you can, Cissa, but –"

She kissed him, just to shut him up. And his kissed her back, because there was no way he couldn't.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"I am going to change." Lily announced a few minutes later. "Excuse me a moment." She got up and left, carrying a small bag that contained her Hogwarts robes and uniform.

Once she had left, Sirius started chuckling. "What?" James asked. He was smiling purely because of Sirius.

"It still amuses me that you are finally together. All your talk about being a couple, getting married…. It begins here, I guess."

"Okay…"

"This is our last year, Prongs. After this…real jobs. Real lives. You'll marry Lily, more than likely. You'll enter the Ministry. Years of rule breaking and general carousing will cease and you will become one of them." He laughed a little harder. "Not me, mate."

"Oi, I will still be fun. I will just have other things to consider." James was little insulted.

"A different kind of fun. Kiddie fun."

"You know, Sirius, that will be you too – eventually." Lupin put in. He had been just listening in slow silence.

"Eventually. Ten, fifteen years from now. Before that, I am going to enjoy being young and sexy as hell." She said theatrically, leaning back, hands behind his head.

"No you won't, Padfoot," James said, serious now. "Not in this world. Things are getting worse, Sirius, and you know it. There are no longer whispers of war. It is here, and we can only ignore it for so long." The mood had changed significantly now. "So yes, I am going to marry her – if she will have me – and start a life for as long as I can before I have to fight to protect them. Yes, Sirius, I am going to grow up because I do not want to be caught with my pants at my ankles when the war comes."

**8o8o8o8o8**

"We should not have done that." Ash said as he zipped his pants back up.

"The hell we shouldn't." Narcissa said, pulling her skirt back down. "Merlin, that was so needed." She leaned in and gave him a kiss. "Thanks, darling." She fluffed her hair and curled it up into a bun. Satisfied she looked decent enough, she went to the door. Before leaving, she turned. "Remember this moment the next time you want to leave me, Mr. Rider. I love you, and one day we will be able to be together."

And with that, she left.

_Oh, hell,_ Ashleigh thought to him.

**A/N: worth the wait? useless addition? let me know! i get better with the more criticism i get – constructive though, please. and to that person who sent me a message about my predilection towards sex in odd places…well, yeah, its kinda hot. not gonna lie.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Things began as they had for the last five years (it was different their first year, of course): the first dinner, they watched new students sit nervously under the omniscient Sorting Hat before being dazzled by the appearing food and the changing ceiling; everyone headed to their respective common rooms, eager to unpack, rest, and converse all at once; student woke, dressed and readied, excited, nervous, and prematurely stressed, for their first class.

To whatever degrees, everyone felt the same. Alongside this, of course, were other emotions around their personal dramas, and the problems going on outside of the castle. Melinda Pennyfeather, a fourth-year Slytherin, had receive a letter moments before breakfast was over that her aunt had been murdered, allegedly by one of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's Death Eaters. Her tears had pushed an invisible button, and the entire room tensed, even if they didn't know why. Lily swallowed, her eyes tearing just a little, and the pit of her stomach fell. Though the letter was not to her, nor did she know Melinda or the late Mrs. Pennyfeather, she, like those around her, felt the loss. This was the first death of the school year; she knew there would be more.

Lily's hand squeezed James's as Melinda was escorted out of the Great Hall. She leaned onto his shoulder and he kissed her head. She felt safer for just a moment. She caught Ashleigh's eye: he looked weary, and drawn; the death was hard on him, in a very different way.

James followed her gaze. For a moment he felt the usual surge of jealousy – until, that is, he saw Ashleigh's expression. It worried him, confused him – but, mostly, it made him wish he could clap his peer on the shoulder.

The tense day would only continue: the teachers were also on edge, and looked at their pupils as though they expected one of them to suddenly fall over, cold. Just after lunch, Lily caught Ashleigh's eye and headed for a closet that they had used to meet a few times before. He followed her at a safe distance, and entered when he was sure no one was looking.

"Hi," Lily said lamely. She began to shake lightly. Ashleigh hugged her tight. "It could have been someone else. My parents, James's. It could have been one of us." She paused, and squeezed him tighter. "You. Dear God, Ashleigh, it could have been you."

"I know – but it wasn't, not this time." He parted from her, but held her shoulders still. "They still think I am with them, though they aren't sure why I am not as…vocal as Malfoy. My father just reassures them that I am the quiet, calculating type like my grandfather was." He said, meaning to comfort her. "I am careful, Lily, do not worry about me.

"Do you know why she was killed? She was a Pureblood, and a Slytherin, someone said, her niece is at least…" Lily asked. She wasn't the only one wondering: students had been whispering all day about it.

"She…she was more like you."

"Like me?" Lily said, her face scrunching in confusing.

"Vocal, opinionated, uncontrollable." He explained. "Her husband, a strong, though quiet man, thought it was an endearing quality until recently. She disagreed with a plan being made. Voldemort was there, though he wasn't in the room. She wouldn't let it go, and when the Dark Lord over heard…" He paused. "My father killed her." His throat was dry.

Lily gasped. "Your father? Why?"

"He was order to." Ashleigh paused, debating whether to continue. "The Dark Lord…wanted me to do it." Lily went white. "But my father reminded him that he had promised that none of the Hogwarts Students would kill until they graduated. That kind of act leads a residue that could be noticed by the headmaster. So my father, ever loyal, and the Dark Lord's right hand, did it. Melinda knows, no doubt. She isn't speaking with me; all of Slytherin will know why soon enough. I'll will become even more feared and revered once they do." He added, bitter.

Unsure of exactly what to say, she hugged him close. "I – I have to get to class, Lily. History of Magic is beginning shortly." Lily held him. She wanted to cry, but didn't. This was only going to get worse, and she needed to be stronger. "I am sorry I hadn't written to you. We must speak soon." He pulled away and, impulsively, kissed her gently. "I'll see you 'round." He turned and left.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Well, today went to shit." Sirius said bitterly, throwing his bag onto one of the common room couches - not caring really that he almost took out a second year and her friends. The girls looked surprised and fearfully skittered up to the dormitory. He plopped down onto the space the girl had vacated. They were now alone.

"Indeed." Remus agreed, sitting more primly into a chair.

Peter, the quiet shadow, sat down on a wooden chair, even though there were more comfortable options available.

They had just arrived in after being called in for curfew from the grounds. It was nearly ten o'clock, though it felt much later.

"Do you think we will wake to more bad news?" Peter asked in the mildly panicked voice.

"Probably," Sirius said wearily, as though bored by the idea. Peter shuddered. Remus glanced at him, and then at Sirius, rolling his eyes. Sirius smirked. Peter didn't notice the interchange, he was too busy fidgeting.

Remus sighed. "It is amazing how easy it is to not notice certain things."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "Until it comes to and shows you its bum."

"Who showed you their bum?" James asked, appearing from the boy's dorm – with Lily in tow. She was blushing and smiling. Remus and Sirius fought back grins as they saw her. She waved good night and headed upstairs.

"Clearly Evans showed you hers." Remus said once she was safely upstairs.

"This deserves a toast!" Sirius said joyously rising to clap his friend in the back. He summoned three butterbeers from his private stash – Peter was allergic…and nobody cared anyway – and directed them to himself, Remus, and James.

"No, no," James said, grinning widely. "Not yet. We were talking and snogging, that's all." He took the seat Sirius had just vacated. "I'm waiting for the right moment." He said, looking over at Sirius, who was sipping at his drink.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Honestly, you've been waiting long enough, James – "

"Padfoot, I want it to be special for Lily's first time…" He defended himself.

Sirius spat his butterbeer everywhere in shock. "Excuse me?"

James's brow furrowed. "Lily's first time – it should be romantic." He glanced at Remus and back to Sirius. Remus was looking at Sirius as though he had gone batty. "I don't want her to regret anything – "

"She told – she is a virgin?" Sirius asked, barely able to mask his shock as he made his mess disappear.

"Of course she is!" James said, suddenly irritated that he had to defend his girl's honor to his best friend. "She didn't say so – I haven't asked of course – but why wouldn't she be?" His face was beginning to melt, however. "She hasn't dated anyone – not since that tosser of a Ravenclaw towards the end of fourth year. And that was only a few months." He looked as though his head was beginning to hurt.

"I agree with James," Remus put in, though he didn't seem wholehearted.

"I am not so sure…" Sirius ventured. His face looked skeptical, but calm. On the inside, however, he was _freaking out_. This wasn't something he had considered until now – of course James would assume Lily was as pure as snow – he was arrogant enough to think she would be waiting for him, knitting or something. He, of course, knew very well that she wasn't knitting and waiting for James. And he also knew – or, rather hoped – that she wasn't a virgin when they had their tryst on the wall four feet from where he stood. The reminder made him shutter.

"What makes you think otherwise?" James asked. By his tone, Sirius knew he was on shallow ground.

"Because she is seventeen…it is not like we are virgins – or I assume, at least." He looked a Remus. They all knew that no one had touched Peter. The three ignored him…as usual.

"Oi," Remus said, looking insulted. "Of course I have!" He didn't seem to be lying, but, regardless, Remus's personal life was not being debated.

"So why should we assume that she would be any different? Because she is a girl?" Sirius scoffed.

James now looked worried, angry, and terrified. "You're right. How should I ask her? It seems like a highly inappropriate question." The bluntness of it made his skin crawl. Lily wasn't a buddy, she was very different. He felt protective of her body, and couldn't handle the idea of someone else doing to her what he had down to other girls.

"I'll get Cora Brown to as her. She owes me a favor." Sirius suggested after a moment of thought. He would do no such thing, of course, but James couldn't know that. "Lily and Cora may not be close, but…Cora has a way of getting stuff out of people." Remus nodded; Tinsley was a gossip queen and a master of manipulation. She wanted to work as a spy, and would probably excel at it. "James?" He prompted when his friend didn't reply.

"Yes, do it."

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Lily, we need to talk," Sirius whispered during potions the next day. He poured their powdered hissing cockroaches into the bubbling cauldron.

"About what?" Lily asked, distracted. She was reading the next directions.

"Can't mention it here, but you are not going to like it." He said ominously.

**8o8o8o8o8**

Ashleigh spent lunch on alone, hiding from Narcissa in his dorm room. He didn't eat anything. He couldn't. Stress from the latest murder, Narcissa's persistent devotion, and the general worries of school and what lies afterwards was becoming too much. He glanced over at Malfoy's bed and felt his stomach churn with hatred - and with fear. He felt vulnerable all alone. No witnesses, no back-up. He hated t admit that he might need it. Not because he wasn't powerful, but because he wouldn't cross certain lines; Malfoy, meanwhile, who dance gleefully over them.

"All alone? Tsk, tsk." Lucius Malfoy purred as he entered the room. "We aren't supposed to eat our meals away from the table, Rider. What would Dumbledore say?" He asked condescendingly. Malfoy moved into the room.

Ashleigh hid his nervous easily behind a mask of annoyance and confidence. "Dumbledore has more pressing matters than a few breadcrumbs in the linens, Malfoy." Ashleigh returned.

Malfoy smiled patiently, continuing to move towards the bed. He leaned on the post. "Why the need for solitude? Hiding from someone?"

"No. Just needed a break for the fray." He answered easily.

"I don't think so. I think you are hiding from my girlfriend." Ashleigh didn't react. Malfoy sat on the end of the bed, seeming to be all kindness. "You think I do not know, Ashleigh, you think I do not see." He whispered menacingly. "But I do. I have from the beginning. And I let it go, because I am so kind." He let that hang in the air before continuing. "It must end now. In December we shall be officially engaged, and next summer we shall be married. And I am not going to have some treacherous leach crawling up her skirt anymore."

"Treacherous?" Ashleigh flared; there was no point in denying his relationship with Narcissa: whether or not Malfoy was fishing for confirmation or he did actually know didn't matter. At least, it didn't matter as much as the traitor accusation. He stood and looked down at Lucius. "How dare you! What evidence do you have of such an accusation?"

"None," Lucius replied stiffly. He rose and adjusted his robes. "And I will not look, for a time, at least, if you stay away from Narcissa Black indefinitely."

Ashleigh stood. "You will find nothing, Malfoy. I may not be a loudmouth, but I do have a strong influence." He said dangerously.

"As you say." Malfoy conceded, though his face was still unconvinced. "Good day, Rider." He turned to leave.

"Doesn't it bother you that she hates you, Malfoy?" Ashleigh asked his back.

Malfoy stopped and turned. "She does not have to love me, or even like me. She is my possession, nothing more."

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Okay, Sirius, what is this about?" Lily asked once they were hidden under Willa.

"First off, James thinks I am asking Cora Brown to ask you about this, just so you know. But I figured you would rather I do it than an outsider." Sirius prefaced.

"What are you talking about, Sirius?" Lily asked, a little annoyed.

"James thinks you are a virgin." He said quickly.

Lily blanched.

"I know, but he is naïve – or maybe just arrogant – enough to assume you are. I told him it was stupid to assume that you were, since you are the same age as us and we definitely are not." Sirius continued. "But he wants to know for sure, and he is too embarrassed to ask you."

"He is too embarrassed to talk about sex with me, and yet he wants to have it?" Lily said, definitely annoyed now. "You aren't nervous! He is such a child…"

"Well, I do have an ulterior motive…" Sirius admitted.

"What? Why?" But then it dawned on her. "You aren't seriously considering the idea that I lost my virginity to _you_ on a _wall_ in the _common_ _room_?" She squinted at him.

"I just…wanted to make sure." He defended himself.

"No, for your information, that was not my first time." She spat at him. "And if your infantile friend wants to know anything more about my sex life, he will have to ask me, not you and Cora." She turned on her heal and left.

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Well, she wouldn't tell Cora anything." Sirius sighed as he whispered to his friend at dinner. "And evidently she is really pissed."

James glanced over at Lily – who was sitting five seats away, which was a red flag one its own, reading while she picked at her dinner. "I should have just asked her myself." He said miserably.

"Yes, you should have." Remus joined in, stabbing at his carrots.

"Well, why didn't you say that last night?" James accused. Both young men shrugged. Peter giggled, unsure of how to react.

He waited until after dinner to take Lily's arm and guide her into an empty classroom. She went willingly, but was visibly still angry. He let her go, but began speaking quickly. "First off, I am sorry for trying to be sneaky and asking others to do my dirty work – it was juvenile. I was just so worried you would be angry with me asking…"

"And you didn't think I would be angry about you going behind my back?"

"Honestly, no. I didn't think about it like that. I figured girls would talk about it like that…like we do." He said. He was making himself as transparent as possible.

She considered that. "Fine. You are forgiven." She said stiffly. There was a long pause where she looked at him and he looked anywhere but her. "Well?" She prompted after a while.

"Well what?" He blinked, unsure of what he had done now.

"Fine," She sighed. "I guess I'll start. How many people have you slept with?" She asked, crossing her arms.

He went red. "A few…" and when her expression made it clear that being vague was not going to cut it, he sighed. "Uh, I have had sex with six, and messed around with another three."

She blinked. "All of them here? I don't need names." She added quickly.

"All but one." He answered. "In our year or just below." He fidgeted. "What about you?" He asked, trying to look calm.

"Three." She answered.

He blinked and turned white. "_Three?"_

"Like you have room to talk Mr. I-have-touched-nine-girls." She volleyed.

"I know you don't want names but…can I…have names?" He asked.

She considered a moment. Did it bother her? Not really, except for the last name would be Sirius's. "My first was Henry O'Toole."

"The Ravenclaw? From _fourth year?_"

She looked embarrassed then, and sat down. "Yes. I regret it now." She looked at him. "I didn't really understand what he was doing, until I thought it was too late to say no." She crossed her legs. "It was short, and it hurt horribly. That is why we broke-up."

James sat down in the desk in front of her and took her hands. "I am sorry Lily. It shouldn't be like that."

"I know," She sighed. "The other two weren't. They were very nice."

He looked unsettled. "I didn't know you dated anyone else." He sounded as though he felt guilty about being so remiss.

"I didn't. The other two…were need based. No emotion. They do not matter." She squeezed his hand. There was another pause. He looked disheartened. She smiled. "I cannot wait to have sex with someone I like – and who knows what they are doing." She said suggestively.

He smiled and brought her hands to his lips. "I can do that."

**8o8o8o8o8**

"Why are you ignoring me?" Narcissa asked Ashleigh as she chased him down an empty corridor.

Ashleigh gave in and stopped. "Because Malfoy told me to." He whispered when she caught up. "He made it very clear that it would be healthier for me to stay away."

"Why?"

"Just trust me, Narcissa. We can't. I have…other things to consider. And if that means I have to give up the woman I love…so be it." He touched her shoulder. "Maybe one day, when this all is over. But not now." He kissed her forehead before turning and walking away from her. For good.


End file.
